Laura Maria Rojas

Laura Maria Rojas (NYU Gallatin) | Oxfam-Mexico| Mexico City, Mexico

The last two weeks have been hectic as I concluded my internship at Oxfam-Mexico. I have also felt a wave of nostalgia as I say goodbye to Mexico. Undoubtedly, a positive sign, indicating this was a worthwhile period. In a few months, Mexico felt like home.

Reflecting on my fellowship, I have identified learnings and insights at a personal and professional level.

The internship abroad was a challenge for me to step outside my comfort zone. I had to quickly become familiar with another culture – and especially another work culture –and learn how to rapidly adapt and apply my skills and knowledge. I gained a better understanding of nuances and aspects of care as a right and the Mexican context that I would have never been able to grasp from afar.

Currently, Mexico stands as one of the largest economies in Latin America. Nevertheless, the country faces extreme inequalities, and incidents of violence against women have increased in recent years. In contrast to other countries in the region, in Mexico, the creation of public care systems and the national recognition of care as a right have been slow and recently halted – despite various legislative initiatives and continued advocacy of women’s groups. However, the upcoming general election opens a new opportunity to accelerate this process.

In this context, advocacy and collaboration among civil society organizations and leaders is essential to drive policy change and the expansion of rights – in this case, the right to care, be cared and self-care. I supported the advocacy efforts during my internship,  assisting in research, strategic planning, stakeholder analysis, communication, and dialogues with other local, national, and international organizations, activists, and public servants.  

Care, although not a new concept, has recently gained more attention from feminist and human rights organizations in the region. However, it remains a relatively new subject within the public sector and debates among women’s organizations remain.

I have come to understand that Care is a right in itself, interrelated with other rights such as education, health, social security, and its fulfillment. The protection and fulfillment of this right require not only interinstitutional coordination of the state, new laws, and recognition of rights, but also initiatives from the private sector and a change in mentality within society

When dealing with these types of issues, results are rarely seen in the short term. This work is also usually done with limited financial resources small teams, and fast-paced working environments. Consequently, this work requires a large amount of commitment and hope. Fortunately, at Oxfam – Mexico I found myself working in a very committed team with supervisors very aware of the challenges to balance work and personal life and the importance of self-care. In the end, taking care of and respecting the right to care for those who defend human rights is essential too.

Laura Maria Rojas (NYU Gallatin) | Oxfam-Mexico| Mexico City, Mexico

I am writing from Tepotzotlán, Mexico, where I am with my team at a one-week offsite. Our days are packed with workshops, discussions, and activities to create a strategic plan tailored to the current Mexican context.

Over the past few weeks, I have witnessed two layers of the human rights field.

On one hand, I have seen how women’s organizations, government agencies, and academics are working together to demand the recognition of care as a right, both locally and regionally in Latin America. For instance, Argentina presented a Consultative Opinion on care as a human right before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), seeking international and formal recognition of care as a right. The court’s response will provide a regional framework to demand the states’ interventions. This process has gained support from numerous organizations in Latin America, fostering a community of shared experiences and knowledge.

While the right to care is legally recognized by regional mechanisms and national constitutions, there is another “battle” going on. Civil society groups are demanding the implementation of policies with a human rights approach to facilitate the exercise of the right to care. In other words, they are demanding care services, policies, and infrastructure to reduce women’s unpaid care burden and to redistribute care tasks among the state, private sector, and civil society.

In this context, I have continuously wondered: Why should care be recognized as a human right?

I have learned that when care is recognized as a human right (the right to care, to be cared for, and to take care of oneself), it means it is universal and implies an obligation for states—as well as the private sector and communities. In the absence of recognition as a human right, care remains relegated to the private sphere, often burdening women, particularly those facing social, racial, and economic disadvantages or exclusion.

These learnings have come from the tasks and events I have participated in during my internship, particularly through getting to know the networks of feminist organizations in Mexico and Latin America that are advancing the care agenda in the region.

Organizations across the region working and learning together have been certainly inspiring!

Thanks for reading/ ¡Gracias por leer!

Laura Maria Rojas

Laura Maria Rojas (NYU Gallatin) | Oxfam-Mexico| Mexico City, Mexico

I arrived in Mexico on June 22. The weather has been especially warm lately, which is not normal for this time of year in Mexico City. Days have passed quickly, and I have mostly been doing desk work, as I had anticipated before coming here.

Care, the topic I’m working on, is unique in both the human rights and public policy fields. Although it is not new and has been studied for decades by feminists, its relevance and usage in Latin America are very recent. Many dilemmas and questions regarding the distribution of care work remain unresolved.

Is care a human right? If it is, then what should the state do? Is it a pillar of the welfare state or part of the social security system? Does it have a gender focus or not necessarily? What exactly is a care system, and who should be its beneficiaries?

These debates are crucial, as their definitions directly shape the expectations and demands placed on states (and society in general) by feminist civil society groups and organizations like Oxfam-Mexico.

Of course, I am not going to answer these questions here, but I would like to share some of the things I have learned and done during my work in Mexico.

Several forums and debates are taking place across Latin America. I have been exposed to different experiences, concepts, discussions, and attempts to reach agreements for a shared future vision of a society with care at its center. This context implies a continuous actualization and rethinking of what public interventions demand from local and federal governments. Much of my work has involved supporting these exercises: checking communication campaigns to promote the distribution of unpaid care work, seeking to understand the national and international context, and preparing documents to create strategies for political advocacy. All of this is happening during a crucial moment as the upcoming presidential campaign in 2024 approaches.

In short, I have learned that collective work at different levels (regional, national, local, and community), strategic future-oriented thinking, and robust theoretical justifications are all fundamental elements when placing a topic on the human rights agenda – in the Mexico case, to ensure that care is recognized as a right at the federal level and to secure the establishment of a national care system.

I will continue to share my insights and challenges! ¡Gracias por leer!

Laura Maria Rojas

 

Laura Maria Rojas (NYU Gallatin) | Oxfam-Mexico| Mexico City, Mexico

My name is Laura Maria Rojas, and I am an anthropologist and political scientist from Colombia. Currently, I am pursuing an MPA in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy at NYU Wagner. My coursework focuses on social innovation, human rights, gender equality, and international development.

This summer, I will be interning with Oxfam-Mexico in Mexico City. I will support the Labor and Welfare Team, which advocates for the establishment of a National Care System and promotes the fair distribution of care work. Care has been recognized as a constitutional right in Mexico City, but public policies addressing this issue have been slow to be implemented at both the local and federal levels.

Oxfam has played a pivotal role in Mexico by partnering with community-based organizations and local governments to advance gender equality. Aligned with their mission to fight inequality, end poverty, and address injustice, guided by their commitment to universal human rights.

My interest in this topic stems from both my personal and professional work. I worked with Colombian female victims of the armed conflict, ex-combatants, and migrants in New York on projects aimed at fostering economic empowerment, providing sexual and reproductive rights education, and promoting women’s political participation. Throughout this work, I witnessed how the unfair distribution of unpaid care work poses barriers for women to access education, jobs, and political participation.

According to UN Women, “care” refers to “all activities that regenerate people’s physical and emotional well-being on a daily and generational basis,” including domestic work, water transportation, childcare, care of other family members, elders, persons with disabilities, and self-care.

I have come to understand that care as a right is accompanied by a political project with care for others and the environment at its center. This political project, widely propelled by feminist groups, implies the active engagement of local and federal governments in establishing proper infrastructure and conditions to protect and respect the right to care for and be cared for.

The feminist movement in Latin America has served as a great inspiration for me. If care work distribution and recognition transform, it will have far-reaching effects on women’s lives and society as a whole.

Given this context, my internship at Oxfam-Mexico will be a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about the conditions under which grassroots feminist organizations, NGOs, and local governments come together to advance gender equality.

I’m excited to embark on this new adventure! Thanks for reading!

Laura Maria Rojas Morales