PP 3 - Depictions of Women and Minorities

Women in Mexico: Representation, Media, and Reality

    Women make up nearly half of every society, yet they are often treated as a marginalized group — both in public life and in media. The United Nations defines minority groups as communities that experience disadvantage or discrimination compared to the dominant group in a society. While minority status is commonly associated with ethnicity, religion, or language, gender can also be a basis for social exclusion, especially when institutions and media systems reinforce harmful stereotypes.

    In Mexico, women have long fought against gender inequality and violence. Despite constitutional guarantees of equality, women continue to face challenges in education, employment, politics, and safety. Mexico has one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in Latin America. According to the Mexican government, an average of 10 women are killed every day in the country. Protests like the Ni Una Menos (Not One [Woman] Less) movement have drawn global attention to femicide, sexual violence, and government inaction. But how women are treated in real life is often reflected — and reinforced — in how they are depicted in media. Mexican media — including television, film, advertising, and news — plays a powerful role in shaping public perceptions of women.

    However, scholars and media watchdogs have consistently found that women are underrepresented in leading roles and are often portrayed through sexist or limiting stereotypes. Women are frequently cast as mothers, lovers, or victims — rarely as leaders, professionals, or complex characters. Television, especially telenovelas, is a dominant form of entertainment in Mexico. 

    While some telenovelas have made progress in portraying independent or empowered women, many still promote outdated ideals. Women are often shown as submissive, jealous, emotional, or obsessed with beauty. Their worth is tied to their relationships with men, rather than their own ambitions or identities.

    Advertising also contributes to the problem. Mexican ads often sexualize women to sell products or use idealized beauty standards that exclude Indigenous, Afro-Mexican, or older women. These portrayals not only limit how women see themselves but also influence how society values them. In news coverage, female politicians or public figures are more likely to be judged on their appearance or family life than on their policies or accomplishments. 

    Media outlets have been criticized for focusing on what women wear instead of what they say. This double standard is rarely applied to men in similar roles. Stereotypical media images don't exist in a vacuum. They affect real-world attitudes and contribute to gender inequality. According to the Global Media Monitoring Project, only 24% of the people featured in Mexican news stories are women, and even fewer are shown as experts or authoritative voices. This lack of visibility reinforces the idea that women are secondary to men in public life.

    Representation also shapes how women and girls see themselves. When media consistently presents women as objects, victims, or background characters, it limits their sense of possibility. It can affect self-esteem, career aspirations, and even tolerance for abuse. 

    For example, the glamorization of controlling relationships in telenovelas may make emotional abuse seem romantic rather than toxic. Similarly, the portrayal of women as responsible for their own victimization in crime stories can feed into victim-blaming culture — a major issue in Mexico’s handling of violence against women. In Mexican culture, the terms fresa and naca go beyond personality — they are loaded social labels with strong implications for class, race, language, and gender.

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* A fresa (literally “strawberry”) refers to someone who is upper-middle or upper class, light-skinned, educated, and often perceived as privileged or superficial. Media portrays fresa women as well-groomed, materialistic, and socially desirable. They usually speak a hybrid of Spanish and English (Spanglish), use elite slang, and are presented as "aspirational" figures.

* A naca is often portrayed as the opposite — loud, tacky, uneducated, and "uncultured." This label is disproportionately applied to working-class, Indigenous, or darker-skinned women, and is used to mock their accents, fashion, or behavior. The term is deeply classist and racist, reflecting Mexico’s colonial legacy and colorism.

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    These stereotypes are frequently played out in television shows and films. The fresa woman is seen as more “civilized” or “worthy,” while the naca woman is mocked or portrayed as comic relief. This reinforces harmful ideas about who belongs in elite spaces, who deserves respect, and who should remain on the margins of society. For women, these roles come with double standards. While men can be naco and still be powerful or charismatic, naca women are ridiculed and dismissed. Their identity becomes a source of shame or entertainment, not empowerment.

    This divide is more than just a media trope — it reflects real-life discrimination that many Mexican women face, particularly those from Indigenous backgrounds, rural areas, or lower economic classes. Despite these challenges, Mexican women are actively pushing for change — in media and in society. Feminist journalists, artists, and activists are reclaiming the narrative by telling more accurate and empowering stories about women’s lives. Independent media outlets and grassroots campaigns have created space for women’s voices, especially those from Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities, who are often excluded from mainstream coverage.

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    Changing how women are portrayed in the media is essential for achieving gender equality in Mexico. Representation matters. It shapes who is seen as powerful, who is believed, and who matters in the national story. When media images reflect the diversity, strength, and complexity of women’s lives, society begins to change too. Progress is happening — but there's still a long way to go. The challenge now is to move beyond tokenism and stereotypes, and toward media that truly empowers women of all backgrounds to see themselves as agents of change, not just supporting characters in someone else’s story.

This was written with the help of AI.