Mayors of Change: How Women Leaders Are Redefining Local Power in Mexico and the U.S.

In an era defined by institutional transformation and growing demands for governments to be more inclusive, efficient, and citizen-centered, female mayors in Mexico and the United States are emerging as powerful agents of structural change. These women are not only governing with a different perspective—they are actively reshaping traditional models of local politics by promoting participatory approaches centered on equity, sustainability, and technology.

In 2024, the number of women holding mayoral offices in Mexico reached a historic high: 28.4% of all municipalities were led by women, according to the National Institute for Women (Inmujeres), nearly a five-point increase from 2021. In the United States, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) reported that 27% of major cities (with populations over 100,000) were headed by female mayors, a figure that has steadily grown since 2018, spurred by a post-Trump wave of progressive local candidacies and a broader push for gender equity.

Beyond these numbers, the real impact lies in the public policies they are shaping. In cities like Hermosillo, Tucson, Boston, and Tijuana, female mayors have prioritized gender equity, climate justice, urban mobility, and the digital transformation of municipal services. A 2024 joint study by the University of Arizona and El Colegio de la Frontera Norte found that municipalities governed by women along the U.S.-Mexico border demonstrated 13% greater efficiency in executing social and environmental programs compared to those led by men. This aligns with a shift in public perception: 64% of people surveyed by Parametría in Mexico and the Pew Research Center in the U.S. expressed greater trust in women leaders when it comes to solving complex local challenges such as water access, public safety, and urban poverty.

Standout examples include Regina Romero in Tucson—who has made her city a binational model in sustainable water management—and Norma Otilia Hernández in Chilpancingo, who has placed transparency and gender violence prevention at the core of her administration. These cases highlight how female leadership is not only reordering political priorities but also reimagining governance itself. However, these women must also navigate institutional and political systems still dominated by masculine, clientelist, and centralized structures..

Despite these achievements, significant barriers remain in 2025. Glass ceilings continue to limit women’s rise within political party structures, and political gender-based violence remains a serious threat in Mexico. Over 800 cases were documented during the 2024 electoral process, according to the Observatory for Women’s Political Participation. In the U.S., although parties have opened more space for female candidates, gender bias persists—particularly in Southern states where restrictive legal frameworks around reproductive rights, healthcare, and education hinder gender equity agendas.

Looking ahead to 2025, the challenge will be to institutionalize a gender perspective in local governance beyond the leadership of individual women. Strengthening networks of collaboration among female mayors in both countries will be key, as will the sharing of successful strategies and the design of scalable, replicable policies. There is also a need to invest in training technical teams of women within local governments and to ensure equitable financing of their campaigns and public initiatives. Institutions like ITAM in Mexico and the Harvard Kennedy School in the U.S. have begun to document these leadership experiences as part of a new narrative of transformative local governance.

The female mayors of the 21st century are not just public administrators—they are architects of a new urban paradigm. One that centers inclusion, empathy, and resilience. Their rise should not be seen as a political trend, but as a strategic commitment to building more just, diverse, and future-ready democracies.

Written by: Editorial

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