Eighteen women from across Jalisco were recognized by the state’s electoral institute for building networks of trust, care, and transformation.

The applause echoed through the vaulted halls of the Centro Cultural El Refugio in Tlaquepaque as 18 women stepped onto the stage, one by one, to receive their plaques of recognition. Each name carried its own story — of perseverance, innovation, and care — together forming a living portrait of the theme chosen by the Instituto Electoral y de Participación Ciudadana (IEPC) de Jalisco for this year’s Reconocimiento al Affidamento: “Confianza que transforma, redes que sostienen” — Trust that transforms, networks that sustain.

The word affidamento, borrowed from Italian feminist philosophy, describes the bonds of trust and mutual empowerment that women build among themselves — relationships that change not only lives but institutions.

Para leer este artículo en español ir a Confianza que Transforma: Mujeres Líderes Son Reconocidas en el Affidamento 2025

Presiding over the ceremony, IEPC President Paula Ramírez Höhne reminded the audience that Mexico marks 72 years since women gained the right to vote and noted how far that struggle has carried them: women now lead 13 of Mexico’s 32 states and some of its most populous municipalities, and have gained gender parity in Congress.

By contrast, women hold roughly 24 percent of U.S. governorships and 29 percent of congressional seats, while in Mexico they now lead about 41 percent of states and hold full gender parity in Congress.

“Power is not given,” Ramírez Höhne said pointedly. “It is conquered.”

She continued: “What women have achieved represents a genuine, progressive conquest of spaces for political representation in the state — a conquest made possible thanks to the thousands, the millions, who have shaped our history: some with public visibility, others entirely anonymous, yet all — from their own spaces, whether vast or modest, influential or unnoticed, professional or domestic, public or private — have expanded the exercise of rights for all women.”

The Executive Director of Prerogatives and Inclusion, Yolanda Franco Durán, closed the formal event by honoring the courage behind each name. 

“Each name pronounced tonight,” she said, “is a story of struggle, trust and transformation.”

Yoloxóchitl Corona Ruelas, Director of Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination, emphasized that the work of affidamento continues — that it begins anew each time one woman reaches out her hand to help another move forward.

Portraits of the honorees

Among the 18 women recognized, five stories captured the breadth and strength of this collective affidamento — from the energy of youth to the wisdom of experience.

“The Affidamento Recognition was born with a powerful certainty: trust among women is a transformative force, underscoring the fact that women in politics build networks of mutual support,” said IEPC council member Miriam Gutiérrez Mora when introducing the honorees.

Tuutu Geraldine Rivera Carrillo, a young Wixárika university student, was recognized for her work defending bodily autonomy and political-reproductive rights, including efforts to strengthen women’s participation in her Wixárika community of San Miguel Huaixtita.

María Catalina Ramírez Parra, from Sayula, was honored for more than four decades of work promoting sustainability, social care, and civic participation in her community, where she has accompanied neighbors in confronting environmental contamination and advocating for healthier, more equitable living conditions.

Diana Arredondo Rodríguez was recognized for her innovation and persistence in bringing a gender and inclusion perspective to electoral justice — confronting entrenched resistance and helping women candidates fight political violence and exclusion.

Sitlali Chino Carrillo, a Wixárika leader, was honored for her leadership in promoting Indigenous women’s participation in local decision-making and advancing intercultural understanding across communities in northern Jalisco.

Marissa Velázquez Ramírez, a Mazahua woman, was recognized for her advocacy in preserving Indigenous languages and expanding civic and electoral rights for Indigenous women across Jalisco.

Ceremony to celebration

In the colonial courtyard of El Refugio, a Day of the Dead altar shimmered with marigolds and Catrinas. In the adjacent theater, the honorees took to the stage one by one to share a few words with the cameras, preparing brief messages for the IEPC’s social media, thus concluding the official ceremony and event.

The spirit of the affidamento continued throughout the evening for the honorees and their guests, in another space where the atmosphere shifted from formal to festive—laughter, music, and karaoke in Spanish, English, and Wixárika filled the air.

By night’s end, the formality had melted into laughter, music, and the sound of women — joined by the men who care about them — celebrating together. It was as fitting an example of affidamento in action as one could hope to find.

For the list of awardees and to see videos with each of the awardees, follow the IEPC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at @iepcjalisco.

This story was published originally by the Guadalajara Reporter.