The mainstream media seems to be waiting for a clash between Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. President Donald Trump. Both figures embody starkly different visions of the present moment. Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first woman president and a self-described humanist, enjoys an approval rating around 70% and stands in constant tension with her northern neighbor. Trump, by contrast, has taken a right-wing, macho, discriminatory posture—an attempt to impose dominance on the world through fear and bullying.
Sheinbaum’s election marks a significant step forward for women, especially in a country historically defined by machismo. Who would have imagined, even a few decades ago, that Mexico—a deeply patriarchal society—would elect a woman to its highest office?
Her presidency is not just symbolic; it is a declaration of new values. During a press conference in Mexico City on January 31, 2025, a reporter asked President Sheinbaum about the historical significance of designating 2025 as the Year of Indigenous Women.
Her response was breathtaking in its clarity and force. She calmly broke with conventional political rhetoric, beginning with, “Why not?” Then she continued:
“Indigenous women represent a vindication; they are the origin of Mexico, and we have never recognized them in the way we are recognizing them now. The question is: why does this seem strange?”
When the reporter asked whether there was another reason behind the designation, she replied:
“Of course—there is a historical reason, a reason of social justice. Indigenous women have been historically the most discriminated against and the least recognized. And now we are claiming justice for all women, and from the beginning, who do we have to recognize first? Indigenous women, who for years have been forgotten in our history. That is the reason. So perhaps the real question is: why does it seem strange that we celebrate 2025 as the Year of Indigenous Women? There is no other reason—this is enough.”
Sheinbaum’s answer encapsulates the essence of the ongoing revolution in women’s roles—not only breaking glass ceilings but also honoring those whose voices have been silenced for generations. It’s not just about power; it’s about recognition, healing, and justice.
Just a hundred years ago, women around the world were largely confined to the domestic sphere, often spending decades of their lives giving birth, raising children, and, in many cases, dying shortly after menopause. In the early 1900s, life expectancy for women in the U.S. was about 48.3 years (compared to 46.3 years for men). By 1950, it had increased to around 71 years, and by 2000, to nearly 80. These numbers reflect not just advances in healthcare, but a radical shift in the quality and autonomy of women’s lives.
The real revolution, however, took place not in statistics but in everyday life. Women began stepping out of the home and into public life—not as a coordinated movement, but through millions of individual acts of courage and determination. Day by day, they did things they hadn’t done the day before. They pushed boundaries—seeking education, financial independence, and visibility in all sectors: sports, entertainment, academia, science, and politics. They opened doors that had long been closed and refused to turn back.
This transformation manifests differently across cultures but follows similar patterns. In the economic sphere, for instance, China’s tech industry now boasts that 41% of companies have at least one female founder—surpassing the representation in many Western countries. In family structures, about 21% of mothers in the United States were single mothers in 2023, reflecting women’s increased ability to form families on their own terms. In governance, the European Union now mandates gender parity in its governing bodies, institutionalizing what began as individual women’s political aspirations.
Perhaps most telling are the migration patterns that reveal women voting with their feet. How many women, for example, have migrated alone from South America to cities like New York, fleeing machismo and seeking a better life for themselves and their children? These personal journeys represent millions of individual revolutions in consciousness—women deciding they deserve more than traditional structures offered them.
While this quiet revolution has transformed many institutions, others remain resistant to change. Religious organizations, in particular, have often been among the last bastions of male dominance. One of the major challenges awaiting the new pope is the Catholic Church’s exclusion of women from the priesthood and senior leadership roles. How can it still be justified, in 2025, that half of humanity is denied full participation in one of the world’s most influential spiritual institutions?
So how did this transformation unfold—this unstoppable movement toward equality? Importantly, it didn’t emerge from political parties. Both the left and right lagged behind when it came to women’s rights; for a long time, even so-called progressive movements failed to treat women with the respect they deserved. And today, political and religious forces in many countries are actively working to reverse this progress, as seen in the erosion of abortion rights in parts of the United States.
What makes this revolution so extraordinary is how it differs from violent political revolutions of the past. There were no firing squads, no gulags, no mass exile of opponents. Women changed society by transforming themselves and their immediate environments—step by step, generation by generation—creating new possibilities for life, work, and community. And they did so without tanks, without nuclear threats, without concentration camps, without revenge.
This is a revolution of consciousness—a profound shift in how half of humanity perceives itself and its possibilities. It has unfolded through presence, creativity, and persistence rather than through domination. In leaders like Sheinbaum, we see not just the fruits of this revolution but its continuation—a vision of power based not on fear but on recognition, not on domination but on justice. It is shaping a future not just for women, but for all humanity.
