Outcome MEX_D_2.1

By 2025, the population in conditions of greatest vulnerability has access to universal health, education and culture, food, social protection and a comprehensive quality care system.

The Generation Equality Forum 2021 served as framework for the joint launch with INMUJERES, of the Global Alliance for Care , the most transformative initiative that already has 52 members among governments, academia, philanthropies, civil society and the private sector. The Global Alliance for Care , is a multi-stakeholder and co-creative space seeking to transform culture and reduce inequalities by guaranteeing the recognition, reduction and redistribution of domestic and care work. https://alianzadecuidados.forogeneracionigualdad.mx/ At the national level, UN Women CO works closely with INMUJERES in securing visibility opportunities for the Alliance and promoting the construction of a National Care System in Mexico , with an strategic 360° approach that includes the provision of technical assistance to the Executive, particularly to the Ministry of Finance with methodologies and studies for decision making of analysis and simulation of the investment and economic costs and the effects on the product, employment and tax revenues in the implementation of universal care services for early childhood, childhood and people in situations of dependency. This methodology can be applied at national, state and local level, as well as replicated in other countries that have also shown interest such as Spain. On November 18, 2020, the Chamber of Deputies approved a bill to amend the Political Constitution to recognize the right of care and the State’s responsibility of creating a national care system. However, the Senate´s approval is pending. On October 21, 2021, a bill was presented in the Senate to propose the creation of a General Law of the National Care System , stablishing the guiding principles, as well as the powers, competencies, concurrence and coordination bases between the Federation, the states, and municipalities. UN Women directly contributed to this normative work in the country by providing technical advice for the drafting of the Law initiative and advocacy to the Legislative regarding international experiences in care legislation and construction of national care systems. In terms of catalytic programmes, the Joint SDG Fund Programme “Closing gaps: Making social protection work for women in Mexico” implemented by ILO, as the JP-Mexico’s lead agency, UN Women and FAO. Harnessing the mandate of each agency and working along with diverse stakeholders, contribute to the creation of an effective legal and policy framework for domestic workers and women temporary agricultural workers, through research on social protection gaps, promoting dialogue with government, social actors and parliamentarians at national and state level and drafting policy and legal strategies and/or action plans. Furthermore, it promotes the establishment of the first National Care System that aims at better articulating the existing care policies to enhance the quality, scale and coverage of public care services, for the benefit of all women in Mexico, especially those not covered by the social security contributory system. UN Women carried out the pilot in Iztapalapa (Mexico City) for the diagnostic and implementation of care services at local level : mapping of services, diagnosis of gaps and intervention methodological proposal; cost studies and returns on investment of the progressive expansion of care services for the early childhood population and older people in a situation of dependency; a methodology and simulator for estimating costs and economic impacts of care services that can be replicated in other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and the world; a curricular proposal for the professionalization of child care work and older adults with the ICAT with a gender and human rights perspective, replicable in other states. Mexico CO - R2 - All Documents (sharepoint.com) Within this program, a campaign with a programmatic approach was developed to make visible the rights of domestic workers in collaboration with key actors from government, academia, trade unions and civil society. The access to information on care systems is being facilitated trough different mechanisms such as communication strategies with key collaborations in social media established with the Domestic Workers Union, CACEH & The Mexican Institute for Radio (IMER), through the dissemination of a national wide radio campaign regarding VAW linked to the components of the programme. Also, the Allied Media Network, initiative started in 2021 influenced the media by specific journalistic pieces of the Global Care Alliance through 5 contents on this topic, with interviews, columns and videos with experts. The CO is also increasing its knowledge on sustainable finance so there could be a better accompaniment to relevant actors interested in exploring these mechanisms by working in to emerging opportunities with key stakeholders such as the National Ministry of Finance, UNDP, and FIRA.

By 2025, the population in conditions of greatest vulnerability has access to universal health, education and culture, food, social protection and a comprehensive quality care system.

This outcome has achieved substantial progress in 2022. The legislative and executive branches of government have increased their capabilities to formulate and implement a care strategy at the federal level, resulting in a proposal of General Law of the National Care System , and have acknowledged that care systems are an investment that enables the wellbeing of the population, employment generation, the participation of women in the formal labor market, tax revenues and increased family incomes. The Mexican government has access to evidence and knowledge products for decision-making; local governments and other countries in the region have access to inputs and methodologies, such as a methodology to estimate the costs and returns of investments in care services, to replicate them. The local government of Iztapalapa has the capacities and methodology to implement and replicate a care service for children that contributes to children wellbeing and improved school performance and to free up time of women that allows them to engage in paid work. This was the result of a pilot, in the framework of the Joint Programme Closing Gaps: social protection for women in Mexico, replicable in other municipalities. Women domestic workers and their employers have increased their access to information on labor rights and social security through the implementation of the #EsLoJusto (Because it's fair) communications campaign , led by UN Women in Mexico in collaboration with the RCO, ILO and FAO, along with a multi stakeholder participation (government institutions, private sector, civil society organizations), to raise awareness and spread quality information on how to ensure domestic workers access to fair wages, benefits and social security and their rights.

By 2025, the population in conditions of greatest vulnerability has access to universal health, education and culture, food, social protection and a comprehensive quality care system.

This outcome was not achieved in 2023. However, important progress was made. UN Women contributed to laying the foundations for a National Care System as a pillar of social protection through a 360 strategy that includes technical assistance to the executive and legislative branches, advocacy and multi-stakeholder political dialogue, strengthening of local government capacities, development of tools and evidence generation for policy decision-making, a curriculum for the professionalization of care work and piloting of care services at the local level. The development of replicable tools and methodologies such as the Methodology for estimating the costs and economic impacts of the implementation of care services in Latin America and the Caribbean are a contribution to the global care agenda and the generation of evidence that contributes to the policy decision making. This methodology is already replicated at the national level in other countries in the region, such as the Dominican Republic, and at the state level, such as Nuevo León. The government of Nuevo León has become a leading state in Mexico in the design of a state care system based on evidence that promotes women’s economic empowerment. Nuevo León is now member of the Global Alliance for Care, which provides a platform to learn from global, regional and local experiences. Nuevo León also increased its capacities to build a state care system and tools, such as a Study and simulator on the costs and returns of investment in care services for children and the elderly at state level, developed by UN Women. This is a key tool for evidence-based policy decision-making and defining progressive goals for building a state care system. The study conducted by UN Women provides solid evidence supporting the idea that care services are not merely a cost, but an investment. This perspective is crucial for understanding the value of care services in society. The methodological proposal consists of estimating the potential demand for a care system based on the expected demographic evolution and the service proposal considered in reference to the current care infrastructure. Based on this, the investment necessary to build the care system is estimated. Subsequently, the magnitude of the investment required to build the care system is incorporated into the input-output matrix to obtain the effects on the gross value of the product, employment and tax revenues derived from the initial impulse. These estimates allow us to identify that investment in a care system can lead to an improvement in the well-being of the target population, as well as contribute to inclusive economic growth that promotes the reduction of gender gaps in participation and salaries in the formal labor market. Furthermore, the methodology allows considering various prospective scenarios based on the gradual implementation of the care system. The city of Monterrey increased its capacities to design and implement a municipal care system by having a normative basis and key tools to design and implement a care system that ensures the right to care. This was achieved, first and foremost, through the signing of a collaboration agreement with UN Women, a unique agreement of its kind in the country. The project aims to promote gender equality, the economic empowerment of women and the prevention of violence against women and girls in the Municipality of Monterrey, by establishing the foundations of a comprehensive municipal care system and the sociocultural and spatial transformation public that guarantee people the right to care.? In the axis of work on regulatory bases and inter-institutional governance mechanism, on December 19, the initiative for the issuance of the Regulations of The Municipal Care System of Monterrey, and Reform of Various Articles of the Regulations of the Municipal Public Administration of Monterrey , was approved by the municipal council. Additionally, by joining the Global Alliance for Care, a key space for the global care economy agenda. The increased capacities have been supported by products such as the care systems regulations and reforms, a steering committee for both the system and the project, geospatial maps to identify care services, and the potential supply and demand for care. The development of this project has significant potential to establish a replicable collaborative model at the municipal and state levels in other Mexican entities. By incorporating each element that comprises comprehensive care systems, it would achieve comprehensive results. Furthermore, it would set a unique precedent and be a significant milestone in the establishment of local care systems.

By 2025, the population in conditions of greatest vulnerability has access to universal health, education and culture, food, social protection and a comprehensive quality care system.

This outcome was not achieved in 2024. However, important progress was made. Mexico advanced in recognizing, reducing and redistributing domestic and care work with the help of knowledge generation and dissemination. The Government of Monterrey has laid the groundwork for a progressive and sustainable Municipal Care System , supported by a participatory governance mechanism that acknowledges the right to care. By strengthening the regulatory framework and designing a strategy for the progressive implementation of Care Districts, Monterrey aims to redistribute care work across the municipality, promote women’s economic empowerment, and prevent gender-based violence. This initiative also fosters key partnerships with the private sector, civil society, and academia. Monterrey institutions have enhanced their analytical capabilities, enabling the collection and analysis of data on potential care demand and supply. This evidence-based, data-driven approach supports the development and provision of services through the Monterrey Me Cuida Centers , which offer care services for infants, people with disabilities, the elderly, and women caregivers. Monterrey also implemented methodologies and tools, developed by UN Women, to prevent, detect, and refer cases of violence against women and establish caregivers support networks based on sisterhood. These tools are contributing to the prevention of gender-based violence and women caregivers’ economic autonomy. It is worth to mention this methodology is scalable and replicable in other municipalities of the country. The Municipality of Monterrey promoted the transformation of social norms towards social and gender co-responsibility in care and a life free of violence for women, through the implementation of a communications strategy, cultural and sport activities, and workshops with men on positive masculinities and with children to promote their participation in domestic work. Also, Monterrey has the tools to conduct gender audits in public spaces to make them safer and more care-friendly and, because of its implementation, key recommendations to transform the public space surrounding the Monterrey Me Cuida Center in San Bernabé I were included in the strategy for the progressive implementation of Care Districts in Monterrey.