First Woman Co-op President
In the tight-knit, Mixteco indigenous communities in southern Oaxaca, families grow coffee on the steep, green slopes and corn and beans in plots close to their homes. In the afternoons, young men play basketball in the center of town. Nestled high in the mountains, communities like Zaragoza have few job opportunities, and most families earn a living by producing coffee. These families are the farmers of the 21st of September cooperative.
Diracsema Jose grew up in Zaragoza, lending a hand on her family’s farm. As a teenager, she hoped to attend university, but her family’s income from coffee was not enough to cover the cost. When Diracsema’s father decided to emigrate to the United States in search of paying work, her mother took charge of the coffee farm. In communities like Zaragoza, men are traditionally the decision makers, but immigration has drastically changed the role of women in the past decade. Within the 21st of September cooperative, 414 of the 923 official co-op members are women—almost half.
Diracsema’s family supported her as she continued her education. She eventually left the farm at the age of 15 and completed high school and university. After school, she found a job at the coffee mill in Oaxaca City that dry mills the coffee from local cooperatives, including the 21st of September.
Despite being a young woman in a society that traditionally affords respect to older men, Diracsema speaks with a conviction and confidence that has won her the admiration of many cooperative members. While working at the mill in the city, she stayed involved with the cooperative through its women’s group. Then in late 2009, something remarkable happened: the 21st of September members elected Diracsema to be the co-op’s president.
Diracsema says, “My election as the first woman president is part of the co- op’s, and the region’s, history.” She sees her leadership as part of a larger change happening in the surrounding communities, as women take on more prominent roles. Diracsema is proud to be the first woman president, and she is also humbled by the task before her during her two-year term. She knows the milling and export process well, but this is her first experience managing co-op business. “Imagine having the pressure of 923 members, who have different ideas and needs. My job is to build consensus, especially among the elected representatives of the 24 communities who belong to the co-op.”
Luckily, she has the support of the other cooperative staff and the farmers themselves. In her first months as president, she visited many communities and farmers to hear their needs and discuss the future of the 21st of September. While she left her family’s farm long ago, she says, “I remember the years I spent as a teenager, helping my mother harvest coffee and care for the farm. Spending time in these communities is a return to my roots.”