Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 17 august 2018

Mexico City bans use of models at city events

By AMY GUTHRIE ing stained by what these
MEXICO CITY (AP) — supposed agencies are
They've long been an un- doing."
missable part of public The measure is part of a
events in Mexico, from soc- broader city initiative to
cer matches to trade fairs: give women greater re-
attractive women hired to sponsibility in government.
be greeters or simply as eye Amieva has committed to
candy, sometimes scantily having women make up at
clad in short skirts and high least half the participants
heels or crop-tops and hot on expert panels at events
pants emblazoned with and ensuring they get
corporate logos. equal speaking time. City-
Now Mexico City has pro- wide, he said, public offi-
hibited the use of models cials will be told to encour-
known in local parlance age professional growth for
as "edecanes" at events female employees based
sponsored by the local on their abilities and expe-
government, breaking new rience, not their appear-
ground for a country where ance. Public servants who
deeply entrenched gender fail to comply may be
stereotypes often continue fined.
to relegate women to sup- A model strikes a pose for a photographer, as part of her registration to be represented by a Mexican institutions have
porting roles in the work- model and "edecan" agency in Mexico City, Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018. made notable strides this
force. Associated Press year to incorporate more
"This job should not exist," women in leadership posi-
the capital's mayor, Jose ment events tends to be eral women in tight white pearance." tions. Nearly half the repre-
Ramon Amieva, said in more demure than else- stretch pants and topless Hector Garcia, a booker at sentatives in the incoming
announcing the ban last where — think blazers, high save for body paint in the the Agencia de Modelos y Congress will be female.
week. "It goes against poli- heels and slacks or knee- party's signature turquoise Edecanes in Mexico City, Mexico City is about to
cies of gender equality." length skirts rather than and white. called it "dignified work" get its first elected woman
In 2014, a group of female skin-tight bodysuits — there At Mexico City government and said the industry's repu- mayor in Claudia Shein-
politicians organized a fo- have been some instances events, models have gen- tation has been damaged baum, who won office in
rum on the topic that con- that attracted criticism. erally been hired to greet by others who work as es- July. President-elect Andres
cluded the edecan indus- In perhaps the most notori- guests, pass microphones corts but call themselves Manuel Lopez Obrador,
try sometimes is a cover for ous one, the electoral insti- around for questions or sim- edecanes or models. He who takes office in Decem-
prostitution and that the tute hired a Playboy model ply smile onstage alongside said the mayor's character- ber, has chosen women to
models face precarious to hand out envelopes at mostly male speakers. ization of the profession "is fill half his Cabinet positions.
employment conditions. It the first presidential debate Indra Rubio, who coordi- morally harmful and mainly Olga Sanchez, who is slat-
estimated more than 1 mil- ahead of the 2012 elec- nates the gender justice stigmatizes edecanes all ed to run the Interior Min-
lion Mexicans work as host- tion. Julia Orayen emerged program for Oxfam in Mex- across Mexico." istry under Lopez Obrador,
esses or hosts, most of them onstage in a tight white ico, called the capital's Model and edecan Mariel vowed on Saturday to
in the informal sector. dress with a plunging neck- model ban a "small but Guerrero Castano echoed change the "patriarchal
Online job postings for host- line that revealed lots of very important step" for a that sentiment. system" so that men take
esses offer salaries ranging cleavage, in sharp contrast country that's "still macho." "He should not try to mix on more domestic chores
anywhere from 5,000 pe- to the button-up dress shirt "We need to question as a what other agencies or and children have more
sos ($260) to 30,000 pesos and black suit donned by society: Why is a woman's other groups, organiza- rights.
($1,560) per month, well the lone female contender body seen as an object?" tions are calling edecanes But as recently as last week,
above the current mini- for the presidency, Josefina Rubio said. "This places the or models when really they the Mexican Health Minis-
mum wage of about $4.60 Vazquez. woman always at a dis- are escorts or prostitution," try organized a discussion
per day. And in 2016, the New Al- advantage, if her partici- Guerrero said. "Then there on breastfeeding that was
While edecanes' presence liance party held a cam- pation in the workforce is are the legitimate agen- widely mocked for its all-
at corporate and govern- paign event featuring sev- subject to her physical ap- cies ... that in truth are be- male panel. q