Within the framework of the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, Minister for Women Citlalli Hernández Mora announced that Mexico’s National Care System will be implemented progressively, with an initial phase focused on diagnosis and coordination among federal agencies, followed by a second phase in collaboration with state governments.
Hernández explained that building a comprehensive system that recognizes and guarantees care needs in just six years is impossible, but that this presidential term will be crucial for laying its foundations.
“We are talking about the social security schemas and social programs that already exist. We want to coordinate them to serve people with disabilities, senior citizens, children, and all those who require care,” she emphasized.
Currently, an interagency working group established within the Ministry for Women is assessing existing services, programs, and infrastructure, with special attention to Child Care Centers. In the next phase, the aim will be to work with state governments to identify and strengthen existing support and services at the local level.
A National Commitment to Equality
The conference, inaugurated by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on August 12, brought together authorities from across the region, international organizations, and civil society representatives. Sheinbaum stressed that “recognizing all women, especially those who have been historically marginalized, is key” and that her administration will promote a comprehensive care system as part of its gender equality agenda.
The President recalled that the first year of her administration is dedicated to Indigenous women and that each subsequent year will honor a heroine of the nation. She also asserted that rights once won must not be rolled back, and that the “time for women” means ensuring full access to education, healthcare, and a life free of violence.
A Space for Regional Action
Also speaking at the opening ceremony were Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada Molina; Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs; and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous. All agreed on the need to close gaps in inequality and make the care agenda a global priority, highlighting the recent recognition of the human right to care by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The conference, running through August 15 at the Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco in Mexico City, will address political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental transformations aimed at advancing the “care society” and gender equality in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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