Gabriela Martinez

Gabriela was born on April 3, 1980, the fourth of six siblings. She remembers being a quiet girl, she liked school and had good grades, also very sociable. She started knitting at the age of 11, dedicating herself to it most of her life. In her youth Gabriela went to dances with her sisters, she liked to dance and make friends. He married at age 20 and currently has three children. It is considered very homey.

Her greatest female inspiration is her sister Lucia Martinez and the person who inspires her the most is her father Alfonso Martínez. Gabriela is currently dedicated to the dyeing and weaving of wool rugs and the sale of handmade jewelry (silver filigree).

Gender stories

One of the difficulties Gabriela had in her life was when she got married. In Teotitlan and possibly most of Mexico, there is a belief that the daughter-in-law becomes not only a new member of her husband's family, but also a cleaning and cooking force. Gabriela tells us that her mother-in-law was not like most of the mothers-in-law of her time (bad vibes). However, her sisters-in-law were the ones who made use of their power in the house. However, over the years, maturity and adaptation helped Gabriela to overcome these types of encounters.

"They don't treat you as a wife, but as a maid," she says

Another of the social difficulties faced by the community is color discrimination. Despite being a people of indigenous origins, some people in the community are very aware that the color of the skin is related to the level of beauty.

Wise advice

The advice that Gabriela gives to the girls is that they study, have their goals clear and that they know that marriage or having a family is not the maximum nor the final goal. Personally, I think Gabriela is an admirable woman for her strength and character. After some bumps on the road, Gaby has managed to raise her children and start her jewelry business while continuing to weave in the beautiful and efficient way that she does. We thank Gabriela for her kindness, hospitality and trust for the interview.