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Sheinbaum Explains Name Change for Josefa Ortiz in Grito Address

She says the choice was a generational assertion of women’s autonomy.

Overview

  • During the Sept. 15 ceremony, the president used the form Josefa Ortiz Téllez-Girón instead of the customary Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez.
  • In her Sept. 17 morning briefing, she said, “las mujeres no somos de nadie,” recalling she questioned as a child why her mother signed “de Sheinbaum.”
  • She argued the reframing recognizes Ortiz’s lifelong role in the independence movement, including imprisonment and continued activism, beyond her husband’s surname.
  • She also named Leona Vicario, Manuela Molina, and “heroínas anónimas,” presenting their inclusion as part of her responsibility as the first woman to hold the office.
  • The alteration drew criticism on social media, with some users joking she had “divorced” Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, as public debate over the change continued.