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Mexican women artisans present the Mayan embroidery safeguard plan to the authorities of Yucatan
Mérida, Yucatán.- Artisans from 12 municipalities presented the Maya Yucatecan Embroidery Safeguard Plan, developed by themselves with the technical support of UNESCO, the auspices of the Banorte Foundation, and encouraged by the State Government through the Secretariat of Culture and Arts (Sedeculta), to preserving, protecting, and promoting this manifestation of tradition and cultural heritage of the region.
The Safeguard Plan, a result of the first phase of UNESCO's project 'Economic and Social Development with a Gender Perspective through Textile Art in Yucatan', included strategic actions for the Mayan embroidery techniques preservation and promotion, and was presented at the closing ceremony of the Embroiderers' Meeting, an event led by the head of the General Secretariat of Government, María Fritz Sierra, representing the Governor of Yucatán, Mauricio Vila Dosal.
At the event, which included the participation of the Culture National Officer of UNESCO in Mexico, Carlos Tejada, and the Deputy Director of the Banorte Foundation, Blanca Romano Gutiérrez, Fritz Sierra acknowledged and thanked each Yucatecan artisan who, with their creative hands, hard work, and passion, keep the essence of our roots and cultural identity alive through ancestral techniques and knowledge.
The work and great effort of our textile and embroidery artisans in Yucatán, and their aspirations for improvement, deserve more. Therefore, the State Government is committed to giving them greater support, in line with their art and talent, by promoting their textile collectives and providing comprehensive strengthening that allows economic and social justice for them and their families.
The General Secretariat of Government, with the Head of Sedeculta, Loreto Villanueva Trujillo, and the Director of the Yucatecan Institute for Entrepreneurs (IYEM), Antonio González Blanco, emphasized the importance of greater autonomy for women embroiderers, their recognition, and the visibility of their contributions through empowerment that allows them to enhance their quality of life and ensure that their work is not undervalued, plagiarized, or stolen.
"Their beautiful, valuable, and traditional craft constitutes a universe of possibilities and justice; it will create endless opportunities and empower them through knowledge and training in financial, technological, business model, and entrepreneurship subjects, enabling them to enhance their business management and development skills, increase their incomes, and boost their competitiveness in the face of current challenges," Fritz Sierra indicated.
"Recognizing them, as they deserve, is not only about honouring them but also supporting, empowering, and ensuring social justice for them," she said in the ceremony also attended by representatives of the State Congress, deputies Carmita González Martín, Melba Gamboa Ávila, Dafne López Osorio, Manuela Cocom Trujillo, and Luis Fernández Vidal.
The Embroiderers' Meeting, held from June 10 to 12 at the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya in Mérida, was attended by 50 women artisans, who also participated throughout the UNESCOS's project, defining measures and the Safeguard Plan to keep this cultural practice alive. Additionally, they established their own governance body as the Women Embroiderers State Council.
The Council will eventually monitor, to ensure compliance with the Safeguard Plan, the future committee formed by governmental, educational, research, civil society, and private sector entities, follow up the state declaration of the Yucatecan and Mayan Embroidery as Intangible Cultural Heritage for Yucatan.
The Secretary of Culture and Arts shared that more than 320 embroiderers from Abalá, Dzan, Hoctún, Izamal, Maní, Muna, Oxkutzcab, Tahdziú, Teabo, Tekax, Tekit, and Valladolid participated in training sessions, workshops, and meetings, since 2021 as part of the project, facilitated dialogue to share priority measures.
We are taking an important step towards preserving the techniques and legacy of our roots. Let us move forward with determination and hope, always remembering the transformative power of your hands and stories so that future generations can continue to enjoy and learn from this unique tradition.
Cándida Jiménez Bojórquez, on behalf of the women embroiderers, expressed her pride and gratitude for everything learned in the workshops, thanking the Banorte Foundation, UNESCO, and Sedeculta for bringing activities to each municipality, helping their groups, collectives, and families to progress, have better lives, and pass on Yucatecan Maya embroidery to new generations.
The UNESCO representative in Mexico, Andrés Morales, highlighted at the beginning of the work sessions the valuable traditional art of the embroiderers and the urgency for their work and ancestral knowledge to entirely impact their communities:
I am very proud that, in this process, the central figures and main protagonists are you as embroiderers, mothers, daughters, and fellows; you are the ones who make Yucatecan Maya embroidery a living heritage.
Carlos Tejada explained that the Safeguard Plan analyzes challenges for the Mayan embroidery and artisans, and offers mechanisms to achieve, agreed upon through several municipal, regional and state workshops with the embroiderers.
Blanca Romano Gutiérrez, representing the Banorte Foundation, stated that their mission is to improve the quality of life for Mexican families. So, working with and for women is crucial, as they are essential in societies, just like in the five pillars of the Banorte Foundation, including housing, nutrition, health, and education.
The project, also supported by the Secretariat for Women of Yucatan (Semujeres) and the IYEM, includes documenting the history, artisanal techniques, research, creators and creations information of embroidery; strategies for promotion and valorization, including education and responsible tourism. Other measures are actions to ensure fair trade and commerce; inclusion and gender perspective policies; and programs for updating and recognizing the knowledge and skills of embroiderers.
The event in the Mayamax Hall was attended by the Undersecretary for Women's Rights of Semujeres, Yahaira Centeno; the Director of Basic Education of the State Secretariat of Education (Segey), Linda Basto Ávila; and the head of the Yucatán Institute for Job Training (Icatey), Kirbey Herrera. Also by the representatives from the National Chamber of Commerce, Services, and Tourism (Canaco) in Mérida, Felipe Riancho Cámara; the National Chamber of the Clothing Industry (Canaive) in Yucatán, Alberto Rello Arteaga; and others from educational, research, and civil society organizations.
