Two years after its creation, Cerrando Brechas contributed to the development of policies for a national care strategy, as well as access to social protection for agricultural day laborers and domestic workers. Closing Gaps hand in hand with the state governments of Jalisco and Oaxaca, and the private sector, they worked together to increase social protection for agricultural day workers across state borders. Mexico City, May 18, 2022.- Within the framework of the closing of the Closing Gaps program: Social protection for women in Mexico , the presentation of results obtained since its launch in February 2020 to May 2022 was carried out. This United Nations Interagency Programme, funded by the Joint United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Fund, was implemented by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), in coordination with the government of Mexico and organizations and institutions of the Mexican State at the federal and state levels. The project lasted two years and had an impact at the national and state level in Mexico City, Chiapas, the State of Mexico, Jalisco and Oaxaca. The objective was to increase access to social protection for women, especially those in situations of exclusion such as agricultural laborers and domestic workers, including support for a National Care Strategy.
This was done through accompaniment and advice to the federal and local governments, as well as the Senate of the Republic, to develop or strengthen laws, policies and strategies that increase women's access to social protection, as well as through training and generation of knowledge and evidence for public officials, civil society organizations, the private sector, domestic workers and agricultural workers on the subject. The Closing Gap Program had the following results: Inputs for the development of national law initiatives or reforms regarding the
CZ Leads National Care System and mandatory regime for domestic workers, through technical assistance, including piloting a care system at the local level. Advice and technical support in the legislative process and in the development of the IMSS pilot program to which 43,158 domestic workers have joined. [1] More than 1,800 people have developed skills in social protection and gender equality, including domestic workers, agricultural laborers, public officials and the private sector. Established decision-making mechanisms and collaboration agreements between state governments of Jalisco and Oaxaca, and the private sector to increase social protection for agricultural day workers. These results are a product of the successful multi-actor model that the program has generated. The alliances of United Nations agencies with the federal government, local governments, the private sector, civil society organizations, academia, domestic workers and agricultural laborers have been key to increasing access to social protection for women.
During the presentation of results, Peter Grohmann, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mexico, participated; Gerson Eli Martínez Ramos, ILO Employment Policy Specialist for Central America, Haiti, Panama, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Cuba; Belén Sanz Luque, Representative of UN Women in Mexico; Lina Pohl Alfaro, FAO Representative in Mexico and a message from Lisa Kurbiel, Head of the United Nations Joint SDG Fund. In this regard, Peter Grohmann, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mexico, highlighted: “ We have laid the foundations! Closing Gaps: Social Protection for Women in Mexico, has presented us with a roadmap, which we will continue to promote, mobilizing actions and resources for this purpose. " During her message, Lisa Kurbiel, Head of the United Nations Joint SDG Fund, highlighted that “ the Joint Program is generating a comprehensive response focused on meeting the needs of women in vulnerable situations; increase protective services for them and their dependents; and promote decent work in the context of the COVID19 pandemic. This Program is, therefore, a global example of how to comprehensively and coordinatedly address SDG 1 on poverty reduction; SDG 5, focused on gender equality; and SDG 8, on decent work.” “At the ILO we have had the privilege of accompanying the efforts of domestic workers to make effective their rights recognized in Convention 189. I sincerely hope that this work – which includes the reform of the Social Security Law – will contribute to generate a more dignified and fair world of work for this sector,” said Gerson Eli Martínez Ramos, ILO Employment Policy Specialist for Central America, Haiti, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Cuba.