Eufrosina Cruz facts for kids

Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza, born on January 1, 1979, in Santa María Quiegolani, Oaxaca, Mexico, is a Zapotec activist. She works hard for gender equality and the rights of indigenous women and communities. In November 2010, she made history. She became the first indigenous woman to be a deputy in Oaxacan politics. She also led the local congress. Eufrosina founded QUIEGO, a group that helps women in Oaxaca.

Her fight for equal rights began when she was not allowed to run in local elections. This happened in her hometown, Santa María Quiegolani. The reason was simply that she is a woman. This was allowed under their local traditional laws, called usos y costumbres. Because of Eufrosina Cruz's efforts, the state constitution was changed. This change gave women equal voting rights. On October 3, 2008, she received the National Youth Award. This award was for her work in politics. President Felipe Calderón gave her the award.

On June 30, 2018, she left the PAN. This was because she did not agree with Ricardo Anaya's presidential campaign.

Eufrosina Cruz's Early Life

Eufrosina Cruz grew up in Santa María Quiegolani. This is a small Zapotec village in Oaxaca, Mexico. The main language there is Zapotec. Her early life was like many Zapotec women. She woke up very early, gathered wood, and prepared food. She also cared for children and cleaned the house. Most girls in these villages did not finish school. They often married young to men chosen by their fathers.

At age 11, Eufrosina decided she wanted a different life. She left her village to study and learn Spanish. She hoped for a better future. She also wanted to help other women who faced unfair treatment. She earned a degree in accounting. Then she got a job teaching in poor communities. She helped start three high schools in indigenous areas. After this, she went back to her home village. She wanted to improve the lives of women there.

When she returned, things were still the same. Women worked hard but had no equal rights. They were expected to obey men. They stayed quiet when men were around. Women could not vote or speak in local laws. Even so, Eufrosina decided to run for mayor. This was a huge step. Local power had always been held by men. Eufrosina would have been the first female mayor. It was a tough fight. Many people did not want a woman in government. They spread rumors and threatened her.

Understanding Usos y Costumbres Law

In 2007, Eufrosina was allowed to run in the election. The ruling family thought no one would vote for a woman. But to everyone's surprise, Eufrosina Cruz won! However, the male leaders of the village did not accept her victory. They canceled the election results. They threw out the votes for Cruz. The former mayor said, "women do not exist here." He also said, "women were created to serve men, to cook and care for children, but not to govern."

The village leaders said their reasons came from old traditions. These traditions said women could not hold political jobs. This was partly true. The usos y costumbres (uses and customs) law is in the Oaxacan constitution. It says that indigenous communities can choose their leaders based on their own traditions. Oaxaca is the only state with this law. It aims to respect the democratic ways of indigenous groups. It also protects their traditions. In these cases, the local authority is stronger than state laws. Out of 570 indigenous towns, 418 follow usos y costumbres laws. In 95 of these, women could not vote or make decisions.

Eufrosina Cruz's Achievements

Eufrosina Cruz did not give up. She contacted human rights groups and state leaders. Her situation was taken seriously. She became known across the country. On January 18, 2008, a former governor visited her small community. This was the first time. He demanded that women should have better lives.

In February 2008, Cruz filed a complaint. She went to the Human Rights Commission. The Commission agreed that her rights were violated. Because of this, the government suggested changing Article 25 of the state constitution. The state congress approved this change. Since September 21, 2009, the Constitution of Oaxaca has a new rule. It says: "The law shall protect and help democratic practices in all communities of Oaxaca. This is for choosing their councils. It will set up ways to make sure women fully participate in elections. They will have the right to vote and be voted for, equally with men. Breaking this rule will be punished."

• March 2008: Eufrosina Cruz started QUIEGO, A.C. (see below).
• October 3, 2008: Eufrosina Cruz received the Premio Nacional de la Juventud (National Youth Award). This was for her work in political culture. The President of Mexico gave her this award.
• Cruz represented Mexico at a big meeting about Gender and Development.
• Cruz also represented Mexico at meetings for female leaders in Latin America and Spain.

QUIEGO, A.C. and Its Impact

In March 2008, Eufrosina Cruz started a non-profit group called QUIEGO. The full name is Queremos unir, integrando por la equidad y género, a Oaxaca. QUIEGO means "We want to unite, integrating for equality and gender, in Oaxaca." This group aims to highlight the challenges faced by indigenous women. It works to prevent unfair situations like what Eufrosina experienced. QUIEGO believes in equality between indigenous men and women. It wants women to have equal rights in growth, progress, and education.

QUIEGO does this by promoting human rights. It teaches about the importance of freedom and being a woman. It also creates projects to improve women's lives. They hold women's rights workshops. This work helps not only Quiegolani but also other indigenous communities in Oaxaca.

• On December 6, 2008, QUIEGO held the first meeting of its kind in the region. They talked about how important women are in community growth. They also discussed women's right to access social programs.
• Soon after this meeting, the Secretariat of Agrarian Reform helped them. They supported six special projects for women. These included a community pharmacy, a bakery, and a sewing project.
• In San Jose Quianitas, months later, women were able to vote. They could also run as candidates in their community.
• In November 2010, Eufrosina Cruz and QUIEGO held another successful meeting. It was about the freedom of indigenous women.

In 2009, several political parties asked Eufrosina to run for federal office. But the head of QUIEGO said no. Instead, she urged these parties to create ways for women to take part in local governments that follow traditional laws.

In November 2010, Eufrosina Cruz was chosen as a candidate for deputy. She ran for the local congress with the PAN party. When Gabino Cué Monteagudo (PAN) won the elections, Eufrosina was elected. She became the presidenta de la mesa directiva del congreso local. This means she was the president of the board of the local congress. She was the first indigenous woman to lead the state Congress of Oaxaca. On December 14 of the same year, Eufrosina was named the coordinator of indigenous affairs for the PAN's national committee.

See also

In Spanish: Eufrosina Cruz Mendoza para niños