Women Are Peacebuilders: Foreign Secretary De la Fuente

Today in Tecámac, State of Mexico, Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Secretary for Women Citlalli Hernández, and Delfina Gómez, Governor of the State of Mexico, presented the LIBRE centers to more than 60 members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Mexico, giving them a firsthand look at this cross-cutting initiative for Mexican women. LIBRE - an acronym standing for Freedom, Equality, Wellbeing, Community Networks, and Emancipation - is a program put forward by President Claudia Sheinbaum to serve all women in the country.

"The evidence is compelling: the remarkable role that women play both within their own countries and on the international stage as peacebuilders is undeniable. The UN has documented on numerous occasions that wherever women have participated in mediation processes, the resulting peace agreements have been stronger and more lasting - because the great challenge is often not just reaching peace, but sustaining it. I believe this International Women's Day is a great occasion to issue a call and to reflect: if we truly want to achieve peace, we must open more spaces and more opportunities for women mediators to act," said Foreign Secretary De la Fuente.

Delfina Gómez, Governor of the State of Mexico, who spoke about her background as a teacher and her administration's work in the state, emphasized that the LIBRE centers provide a safe space offering comprehensive, professional support that meaningfully transforms the lives of thousands of women.

Women who use and work at the center described its programs to the assembled diplomats, who listened to their testimonies and spoke with them directly. There are now 678 such centers operating throughout the country.

Secretary Citlalli Hernández said that Mexico's constitution ensures substantive equality, and that within this framework the LIBRE centers are one of the most important gender-focused public policies in the country. The centers offer Mexican women access to legal and psychological counseling, support in cases of violence, referrals to justice centers, as well as workshops, training programs, and sports activities.

The event concluded with the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for Women. The agreement sets out to promote substantive equality, meet international commitments, advance gender-sensitive training, strengthen feminist foreign policy, and protect the rights of Mexican women at home and abroad. Governor Delfina Gómez served as the official witness to the signing.