MEXICO'S WOMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 253, 24 October 1936, Page 13

MEXICO'S WOMEN.

DKMAim FOR SUFFRAGE.

MEXICO CITY. Union of American Women and other feminine organisations have begun a new 'votes for women" drive among members of Congress. The union, with 56 branches throughout Latin America, an extensive memorandum to President Lazaro Cardenas, in which it charged the nation arbitrarily had robbed women of their civil rights, and protested that legally they were treated as "minors" or "demented persons." The memorandum was sent to all senators and deputies. "We are sure," the memorandum said, "that all of you will agree, if ypu are true revolutionaries, that women deserve the same rights of citizenship enjoyed by men. You, representatives of the republic, have sworn to uphold and defend the constitution; but such a pledge is an empty gesture so long as an immense group of Mexican citizens is despoiled politically." The women base their claim to suffrage on the constitutional definition of Mexican citizenship which says, in Article XXXIV., that "they are citizens of the republic who, being, Mexicans, fulfil the following requirements: 1. Completed 18 years of age, if married, or 21 years of age if unmarried. 2. Are engaged in earning an honest living." According to the union, Article XXXV3I. of the electoral law violates the constitution by restricting suffrage to males only. The union points out that, as far as the Mexican branch of the organisation is concerned, its members were born in this country, are 21 years old, and live honestly. In 'March, 1935, the Department of the Interior announced that there appeared to 'be no technical or other reasons for denying citizenship rights to Mexican women. But no move has been made to grant to women the right to vote, although President Cardenas recommended their participation in part primaries in his message to Congress in September, 1035.

The union points out that several republics of Central and South America and the West Indies have given the vote to women.