Give voice to what you know to be true, and do not be afraid of being disliked or exiled. I think that’s the hard work of standing up for what you see.
–Eve Ensler

My mother’s generation worked hard to get their voices heard and to shift the expectation of women out of the house and into the workplace. When my generation was told we could be anything we wanted we believed we had arrived. ‘Feminist’ was almost a dirty word- like being a hippy in the disco era- it had served its purpose but was out of touch with what was happening now. Then came Naomi Wolf with her Beauty Myth, Camille Paglia and Susan Faludi’s Backlash and it became clear that while our mothers had come a long way baby, we still had a long way to go.

Recognizing that there is something to fight for and feeling entitled to have my voice heard is something I had taken for granted. After fifteen years living in Mexico it is something I value more than anything. I am the kind of woman who is described as having a ‘character muy fuerte’– this is not offered as a complement, although I have come to accept it as one. Madeleine Albright said “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” Developing a voice is essential to improving the lives of women around the world.

The feminism movement in Mexico is still very much in the public sphere; getting women to vote, getting equal pay for equal work, women are still in the kitchen and sadly, violence against women is common.

This month, in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, we dedicate this issue to all women and embrace the idea that until we all find our voice, there is something to fight for.

The slogan on the cover refers to the machismo compartmentalization of women as either whores or virgins, we are neither, we are women!

See you next month,

Jane