For the first time in more than two centuries, Mexico’s annual Cry of Independence was led by a woman. President Claudia Sheinbaum, the country’s first female head of state, stood before a packed Zócalo in Mexico City on Monday night to deliver the Grito de Dolores, marking a historic first in 215 years of tradition.

The Grito de Dolores, dating back to 1810, recalls the call made by Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in the town of Dolores, sparking the fight against Spanish colonial rule. Each year on the eve of Independence Day, Mexico’s president repeats the cry from the National Palace balcony, ringing the very bell Hidalgo used to summon his followers.

At 63, Ms. Sheinbaum joined the long line of leaders to perform the ritual but added her own symbolic touches. She wore a presidential sash crafted by female military officers and received the national flag from an all-female honour guard before beginning her address.

She addressed the Mexican women and men, before naming the country’s independence heroes. This year, however, she broke with custom by including women who have historically been overlooked. Among them were rebel fighters Gertrudis Bocanegra and María Manuela Molina, and she referred to Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez by her pre-marriage name, Josefa Ortiz Téllez-Girón.

Her cry continued with a series of declarations for the unsung heroines and heroes of Mexico, the indigenous women, the Mexican migrants amongst others. President Sheinbaum also used the occasion to stress national sovereignty. 

For many in attendance, the moment represented both a connection to Mexico’s revolutionary past and a vision of change for its future, one where women’s contributions, too often ignored, are placed firmly at the centre of national identity.