LILA ABED | First Woman Director of the México Institute at The Wilson Center
LILA ABED was a White House correspondent for NTN24 prior to her work at the Wilson Center. She is a collaborator at Radio Fórmula and a weekly columnist for El Heraldo de México and Opinion 51.
Abed has worked in various public institutions including Mexican embassies in Canada and the United Kingdom.
LILA ABED was the General Director for International Cooperation at México’s Office of the Attorney General and was the Secretary of International affairs for the Partido Revolucionario Institucional’s Executive Committee.
TEXAS TRIBUNE FESTIVAL
I was a press attendant to the Texas Tribune Festival 2024 which hosted a large group of public officials, policy experts, and inspirational speakers to talk about the work they’re doing on various issues affecting Texas.
Ambassador Tony Garza, left Lilia Abed and Duncan Wood at the Texas Tribune Festival 2024
LILA ABED was part of the «Madam President» speaker panel along with former US Ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza and Duncan Wood, former Vice-president of the Wilson Center.
The panel was highly informative and valuable but LIlia Abed commanded my attention right away with her remarkable expertise on both Mexico and the USA. Every comment during her presentation shared her passion for Mexico.
On a personal basis LILA ABED is charming and warm. In conversation she makes you feel like you are the most important person in the room.
THE WILSON CENTER
Lila Abed, congratulations on being the first woman Director of the México Institute, at the Wilson Center. Can you tell us a little about your role there?
It is a great honor to be the first woman to lead the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute (MI) at such a critical juncture for the US-Mexico bilateral relationship.
The Director of the Mexico Institute is responsible for strengthening cooperation and communication between the United States and Mexico through independent research, open dialogue, and in-depth discussions to propose policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship.
The Director does so by developing a strategic plan that outlines the MI’s main areas of focus, which currently includes security, democracy and rule of law, border affairs, environment and natural resources, innovation and emerging technologies in North America and the USMCA.
Are there more women involved in the Mexican Institute?
I have the pleasure of overseeing an all-woman team with a high level of enthusiasm, work ethic, passion, and determination to ensure the smooth functioning of the Mexico Institute.
MADAME PRESIDENT – THE FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT IN MÉXICO
During the Texas Tribune Festival you spoke about México creating history with electing its very first woman President, CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM. Do you think México is ready for it?
On June 2, 2025, Mexico elected its first female president in history. Claudia Sheinbaum, an environmental scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, received almost 60% of the popular vote, more than any other Mexican leader in modern history.
Her triumph is an undeniable positive milestone and is a true testament to the advances that women have made in the country’s political sphere.
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, First Female President in Mexican history.
Evolution of the Women’s Right to Vote in México
In 1953, Mexican women were granted the right to vote. In the mid-1990s legislative reforms increased the minimum female representation in Congress from 15% in 1996 to 40% by 2008.
The 2014 political reform went further and included a constitutional amendment requiring that 50% of candidates must be women for both federal and local legislative elections.
In the 2021 midterm elections, women ran for governor in seven states, and six of them won. Prior to this election, only 9 women in Mexican history had occupied gubernatorial positions.
Today 13 women serve as governors. Of the 11 justices in Mexico’s Supreme Court, four are currently women.
In fact, Mexico has the 4th highest proportion of women elected to national legislatures in the world.
Do you think that being a woman President means that women’s issues in México will take priority during her presidency?
While it is not the first time that women have been chosen as presidential candidates, the 2024 election had two women candidates leading Mexico’s presidential race.
Claudia Sheinbaum’s victory is historic and builds on the long-fought battles by Mexican women to expand their political rights.
Although Mexico elected its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum’s ascension to the role does not necessarily indicate a shift towards a feminist agenda or that women’s issues will be at the forefront of her six-year term. However, Claudia Sheinbaum’s government plan includes certain positive signs that she will focus on women’s issues.
That said, Sheinbaum has a unique opportunity to address the structural machismo ingrained in Mexico’s society and soaring levels of violence against women, disappearances, and femicides in the country.
«During her inaugural speech, president Claudia Sheinbaum recognized that she did not arrive to power alone, but that all Mexican women arrived with her.»
Though this phrase is symbolic, Mexico’s president announced that she plans to homogenize the definition of femicide and codify it as a crime in all 32 states.
She also elevated the National Institute of Women (Inmujeres) to a federal ministry, increasing not only the importance of the Institute but also its budget.
Sheinbaum has pledged to support pregnant women, implement the “aggressor leaves the house” law when a woman is the victim of domestic violence, offer a bimonthly stipend to women between the ages of 60 and 64, among other measures.
MEXICO/USA BUSINESS RELATIONS
How would having a First Woman President in México and possibly a First Woman President in the USA affect business relations in both countries?
Despite the result of the November US election, the US-Mexico bilateral agenda will continue to focus on trade, security, and migration.
The US-Mexico relationship touches more lives on both sides of the border than any other bilateral relationship in the world.
Lila Abed with President Joe Biden
In 2023, Mexico became the US’s top trading partner with two-way trade totaling just shy of $800 billion, surpassing China and Canada.
THE FUTURE
How do you see Mexico/US business relations evolving in the near future?
Ahead of the 2026 US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) review, the leaders of all three nations will need to work together to continue boosting trade and promoting North American trade integration, prosperity, and competitiveness.
Claudia Sheinbaum will need to work with her North American partners, particularly her US counterpart, to promote foreign direct investment in Mexico by taking advantage of the nearshoring phenomenon.
Mexico’s greatest challenge going forward is to demonstrate that it is committed to strengthening its democracy and rule of law, providing investors legal certainty, sufficient energy resources, adequate infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and reducing insecurity in the country.
WOMEN WORKING IN POLITICS IN MEXICO VS USA
When you were working in México, was it hard for you as a woman to adapt to the political environment in México as opposed to the United States?
As a binational and bicultural Mexican American, I have had the opportunity of living, studying, and working on both sides of the border.
During my time working for the Mexican federal government and in the political sphere, I encountered many of the challenges that Mexican women face daily.
Holding high-level positions at a young age allowed me to better understand the inner workings of Mexico’s government, but also exposed me to the deep inequalities between women and men.
«In addition to experiencing sexual aggression, I had to work twice as hard and twice as long to prove that I was fit for the positions I was assigned. At times, not feeding into corruption cost me my job.»
That said, I was able to establish long-lasting friendships with cherished colleagues that, like me, share a passion for public service.
How did you manage those setbacks?
I was able to overcome many of these setbacks by continuously focusing on finding new avenues to analyze the bilateral relationship and develop public policies on how the United States and Mexico can become closer allies, partners, and neighbors.
Thank you Lila for your attention to this interview considering your busy agenda this month with the 2024 elections. To end the interview I wanted to ask you a fun personal question! What is the favorite meal you miss the most from México?
Chilaquiles verdes and tacos al pastor!
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WE CELEBRATE LILA ABED, A HISPANIC WOMAN THAT SHARES HER EXCEPTIONAL DRIVE TO GO BEYOND BORDERS TO EXCEL IN WHAT SHE DOES.
FOLLOW LILA ABED AT THE WILSON CENTER HERE :
By Lilia Rodriguez – Davis
Editor in Chief LRM
Photos by Lila Abed and the Wilson Center
