Secretary for Women Citlalli Hernández Presents Ambassadors with Mexico’s Strategy to Advance Women

• Secretary for Women Citlalli Hernández Mora presented the LIBRE Centers strategy to more than 60 ambassadors - a flagship program of the Fourth Transformation government that prioritizes women's welfare in public policy
• At this commemorative event, the Secretary Hernández and Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente signed an agreement to advance substantive gender equality in all of Mexico's diplomatic missions abroad

Secretary for Women Citlalli Hernández Mora presented the LIBRE Centers strategy to more than 60 ambassadors from countries around the world. The program is one of the Fourth Transformation government's most successful initiatives, designed to place women's wellbeing at the heart of national policy.

Speaking at an event to mark International Women's Day, Secretary Hernández said that the current administration is actively working to transform the lives of women in all their diversity. To that end, the government has built centers where women can feel safe while also gaining skills and vocational training that open the door to economic independence.

"Among the various responsibilities of this Ministry for Women is fulfilling the commitments written into law by our President, who has also asked us to ensure that these policies translate into real change in women's everyday lives," she told the gathered diplomats at the LIBRE Center in Tecámac.

The creation of a Cabinet-level Ministry for Women clearly demonstrates President Claudia Sheinbaum's commitment to her campaign promises. The President declared that when she assumed office, she did so on behalf of all women, and she has since made women's issues a central pillar of her administration.

"I have the great honor of accompanying the President as the country's first Secretary for Women. This is the first time Mexico has had a Ministry for Women, and for the first time, women's advancement has been placed at the very highest level of government decision-making," she said.

Secretary Hernández also announced that the government expects to have 1,000 LIBRE Centers in operation by the end of this year, with a six-year target of 2,500 - one in every municipality in the country. The 678 centers currently in operation have seen strong demand from users and, more importantly, have had a meaningful impact on women's lives.

She explained that the LIBRE Centers offer users access to free psychological support, clinical and legal counseling, and a range of skills workshops.

In his remarks, Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente was unequivocal: "The evidence is compelling - the extraordinary role that women play both within their countries and on the international stage as peacebuilders is undeniable."

He noted that the United Nations has documented on numerous occasions that peace processes in which women participate as mediators tend to produce stronger and more lasting agreements, because the challenge is often not only reaching peace, but sustaining it.

International Women's Day, he said, is an important opportunity for reflection: if we are serious about achieving peace, we must open more doors and create more opportunities for women to lead as mediators.

At the commemorative ceremony, the Ministries for Women and Foreign Affairs signed an agreement to advance substantive gender equality in all of Mexico's diplomatic missions abroad, promote the Women's Rights Charter, and expand women's participation in all institutional activities. The Governor of the State of Mexico served as the ceremony's honorary witness.