Abstract

The purpose of the following article is to present a general overview

of the conditions of education in Mexico and Chiapas, where the

possibilities of productive projects for young people from

indigenous populations who have graduated from higher education

in the highlands of Chiapas are investigated. Emphasis will be placed

on indigenous women with productive projects, since it is noted that

there is even a triple marginalization for this segment of the

population, due to the perspective of poverty, gender and belonging

to a native people or community. It is worth mentioning that a case

Intercultural de Chiapas (UNICH) will be taken, where graduates

and students carried out productive projects with the purpose of

strengthening the economy of vulnerable communities or their own

communities of origin.

donde se investigan las posibilidades de proyectos productivos que

tiene jóvenes de poblaciones indígenas egresadas y egresados de la

educación superior de la zona Altos de Chiapas. Se pondrá énfasis

en las mujeres indígenas con proyectos productivos, puesto que se

advierte que existe hasta una triple marginación para este segmento

de la población, por la perspectiva de la pobreza, del género y por

pertenecer a un pueblo o comunidad originaria. Cabe destacar que se

tomará un caso de éxito generado por el Centro de Investigaciones

en Salud de Comitán A.C (CISC) en colaboración con la

Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas (UNICH) donde egresadas,

Introduction

Education is an essential element for the development of people, it

is undeniable that it is a factor that has an impact on the economic,

political and social perspectives, and that is due to intellectual

growth, but also to the capitalist system that most countries around

the world have, where productivity is one of the main axes and to

achieve greater economic capital one must have greater intellectual

capital, which according to the indicators can only be achieved by

obtaining the corresponding diplomas and/or certificates.

According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and

higher incomes compared to those who have higher secondary

education, according to data from OECD countries (2019).

For its part, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography

(INEGI) through the National Survey on Access and Permanence in

better life decisions (ENAPE, 2022, p. 14). (ENAPE, 2022, p. 14).

Through various levels of measurement we can observe

quantitatively the status of certain issues such as health, housing or

education, which provides an overview of the situation of any

country. Through these indicators we now know that Mexico,

compared to other countries, has one of the lowest rates of schooling

and educational quality, and although various measurement

parameters have been strongly questioned for not having elements

that contextualize the characteristics of the countries, they also

provide us with elements of analysis.

According to the results of the latest Program for International

15 years and older, which places the population of the national

territory with only a high school education.

What also places the population in a status of very high vulnerability

is illiteracy, which has not been eradicated, since at the national level

5 out of every 100 Mexican nationals cannot read and write, it is true

that when interpreting the data it is observed that this number

corresponds to people 60 years of age and older, where the largest

number of illiterate people is concentrated is in the 75 years of age,

however, this complex issue still prevails in the country.

However, the situation of people who wish to enter higher education

have increased, it is not possible to have a high average of the

population that reaches these levels.

Mexico has made significant progress in higher education

attainment. The share of young adults (25-34 years old), who

The following data shows a not at all encouraging panorama in the

country for people who wish to obtain a postgraduate degree, since

a very small portion of the population will be able to access a

master's or doctorate degree; the possibilities are minimal and

increasingly complex in this country with historical inequalities and

such marked shortages.

Among 25-64 year-olds in Mexico, bachelor's degrees are the most

common (18%), followed by master's degrees (2%), and short-cycle

tertiary qualifications (1%). On average across OECD countries,

bachelor's degrees are also the most common (19%), followed by

master's degrees (14%) and short-cycle tertiary qualifications (7%).

difference of 12 points in the master's degree and in the case of the

doctorate, less than 1 percent of the population obtains a doctorate

degree in the country, which reflects the low levels of schooling in

the general population, but the situation becomes more complex

when it comes to people from indigenous peoples and communities.

which prevail the Tseltal, Tsotsil, Mam, Tojolabal, Lacandon,

among others.

Of the country's total population there are 23.2 million people who

In Mexico, the population 15 years of age and older who speak an

indigenous language had an average level of schooling of 6.2 grades

(equivalent to completing primary school). This figure is lower than

that of the non-indigenous language-speaking population aged 15

and over. The latter reported a level of 10 grades of schooling. It was

also lower than the total population, which reported 9.7 grades.

(INEGI, 2022, p.5).

Here we can analyze that the average levels of schooling for speakers

of an indigenous language are well below the average for the

population of Mexico, which makes us emphasize the importance of

conducting research based on the most felt problems that this sector

educational gap that exists in comparison with other countries in the

world, but also within the Mexican territory itself.

In Mexico, the illiteracy rate among the population 15 years of age

and older who speak an indigenous language was 20.9 percent. This

differs significantly from the situation of non-indigenous language

speakers. In the latter, illiteracy was 3.6 percent, representing a gap

of 17.3 percentage points (INEGI, 2022, p. 6).

It is considered necessary to address the issue because it is intended

that by 2030 in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals

set out in goal number 4 "Quality Education" where the importance

there are large differences in the level of education between

The above shows stark inequalities in schooling levels, which

indicate the complex panorama faced by the southern states of the

country, specifically Chiapas, which is a multicultural state.

The states with the highest percentage of indigenous language

should be noted that 40% of the total population living in Chiapas

identifies itself as indigenous.

Now let's disaggregate and recap, as if the data presented at the top

of this article were not enough, one out of every 10 women living in

Mexico is indigenous, which places them in an even greater situation

of vulnerability.

Indigenous women are those who have the least opportunities and

access to education, here we can talk about multiple factors, among

which are the uses and customs, as well as the patriarchal system

rooted in the indigenous communities in which they prefer men to

access education by attributing to them the role of provider and

to non-indigenous women (32.5%); in addition, 49.4% of indigenous

women heads of household have an income less than or equal to the

minimum wage, while 27.9% of non-indigenous women have the

same income. Regarding the average number of children, indigenous

women have 2.6 children and non-indigenous women have 2

children. (INMUJERES, 2022)

It is for this reason that we can argue that the data on education are

more complicated, since they barely manage to finish primary

school.

schooling), while non-indigenous women reach the first year of high

school (9.9 years of schooling). (INMUJERES, 2022).

And in the case of monolingual women, the dropout rate or the

possibility of not entering basic education is even greater, with very

consolidate the educational perspective and the possibilities of a

horizontal dialogue, proof of this is the creation and existence of

Intercultural Baccalaureates and Universities, of which there are

currently 11:

(i) Universidad Autónoma Indígena de México (official creation

decree of 2001) (ii) Universidad Intercultural del Estado de México

(official creation decree of 2004)

(iii) Intercultural University of the State of Tabasco (official creation

decree of 2005)

(iv) Intercultural University of Chiapas (Decree of official creation

of 2005) (v) Intercultural University of the State of Puebla (Decree

(Official creation decree of 2007)

(x) Intercultural University of San Luis Potosí (official creation

decree of 2011) (xi) Intercultural University of the State of Hidalgo

(official creation decree of 2012) (Enrique, 2022, p.58).

In Chiapas, the Intercultural University of Chiapas (UNICH) began

its academic activities in 2005. Two years away from its 20th

anniversary, it has managed to consolidate its undergraduate

educational offerings and has gradually added postgraduate

programs that are now recognized by CONAHCYT.

The Intercultural University of Chiapas (UNICH) is located in the

Coordination of Intercultural Bilingual Education (CGIEB) in

conjunction with the Ministry of Public Education (SEP).

Its purpose is to prepare indigenous youth and adults to become

active agents of transformation of their environment, through new

Agua. This University has seven academic programs: Agroecology,

Language and Culture, Sustainable Development, Alternative

Tourism, Intercultural Communication, Medical Surgeon and

Intercultural Law. We can also mention the postgraduate programs,

currently they have a Master's in Social and Solidarity Economy and

a Master's in Intercultural Studies, both programs recognized by

CONAHCYT.

This will allow not only to have spaces in 5 municipalities but also

to be able to have an impact on different topics since the intention is

to develop advocacy projects with indigenous students from

different disciplines and multidisciplinary academic units, for the

projects implemented.

The Centro de Investigaciones en Salud de Comitán is a Civil

Association whose vision is "To be a civil organization of reference

for the local, state, national and international community in the

development of research projects and systematization of action on

issues of health, gender and society in the border region of the state

of Chiapas" (Casillas and Santini, 2009, p.3).

As part of their functions, they carried out a project in conjunction

with UNICH entitled "Intercultural linkage for local development:

consolidating youth leadership with a territorial and multi-

from a strategic perspective to achieve the strengthening of

education, where the work is considered horizontally with society

and to achieve the income and access of young people to a better

quality of life.

were part of the teams and carried out projects with CISC. The idea

of working with students and graduates is based on the importance

that the women of the communities themselves contribute through

the knowledge acquired in the classroom to the vulnerable

communities of the Highlands of Chiapas or their own communities

of origin, because the importance of getting involved as a society and

contribute to the human development of the communities through

joint work.

Economic Commission for Latin America (2022). Interculturality in

INEGI. (2022). Encuesta Nacional Sobre Acceso y Permanencia en

INEGI. (2022b). Statistics on the International Day of Indigenous

National Institute of Women (2022). Inequality in Figures. Centro

Collective Leadership Model of the Intercultural University of