By: Amy Qian

As the first female president-elect of Mexico, 61-year-old Claudia Sheinbaum made history on June 2, 2024. In addition, she is the first person of Jewish heritage to lead the primarily Catholic nation. This achievement is especially notable given that women gained the right to vote in Mexico only 70 years ago.

In one of her speeches to supporters, Sheinbaum said, “I do not arrive alone. We all arrived, with our heroines who gave us our homeland, with our ancestors, our mothers, our daughters, and granddaughters.” Those words resonated with many people in the nation, highlighting her commitment to the empowerment of women.

Sheinbaum, who previously served as the head of government for Mexico City, is not a career politician. She has a PhD in energy engineering and is a renowned climate scientist. Sheinbaum is dedicated to transferring fossil fuels to clean energy sources throughout her career.

Sheinbaum will face many challenges. One is the rising violence in Mexico. She has a plan to increase the number of police officers and spread security cameras across the country.

The president-elect also aims to reduce fossil fuels usage in Mexico by half in the next six years. She wants to invest in green energy projects and improve the nation’s public transit systems in order to achieve this goal.

While she has a tough job ahead, Sheinbaum has already made a significant impact on Mexico and other places worldwide. “I never imagined that one day I would vote for a woman,” said Edelmira Montiel, who was 87 years old. “Before, we couldn’t even vote, and when you could, it was for the person your husband told you to vote for. Thank God that has changed and I get to live it.”