The importance of women in the preservation of the companies dedicated to the production and sale of the Jipi-Japa hat in the Maya area of Calkiní

In the Yucatán península, the handicraft businesses tend to disappear when the master craftsman dies, losing these family type companies. According with researches applied by Santos y Barroso (2016), point out that the 66% of the companies are run by handicraft woman, who preserve their customs, traditions and handicraft heritage. This document aims to appreciate the importance of the women in the preservation of the companies dedicated to the production and commercialization of the Jipi-Japa hat in the mayan area from Calkiní, in order to know the strengths and weaknesses of these companies for the export to European Markets. The research proposal was mixed and it was carried out in the four mayan localities: Tankuche, Bécal, Santa Cruz ex-Hacienda y San Nicólas from the municipality of Calkiní, in the state of Campeche, in two phases: Phase 1.- Internal analysis of the handicraft’s companies. Phase 2.- External analysis of the handicraft´s companies through key informants. The results point out that even when the woman has an important leading role in this activity, there is a significant decrease in their number; which indicates, that the new generations do not see the handicraft production attractive perhaps because of the work it implies and the low remuneration, putting at risk the generation of jobs derived from this activity; For this reason, it is urgent to implement strategies in the production and commercialization of the hat that help to strengthen this activity and prevent its extinction.