México

Key Results

UNDP promoted gender equality and women’s empowerment by transforming harmful practices of masculinity and eliminating them as drivers of discrimination and gender-based violence. UNDP, jointly with UN Women and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) selected ten projects to showcase their work on gender equality incorporating psychological, collective and spiritual aspects. A series of videos that document transformative practices were produced and 25 in-depth interviews with national experts in masculinities were conducted to map innovative initiatives and relevant stakeholders in the country.

Based on these data, a ground-breaking research paper was prepared, to be published in 2024 and shared with decision- and policymakers, as well as civil society, as a roadmap towards positive, co-responsible and non-violent masculinities among Indigenous and Afro-Mexican men.

To implement new initiatives to transform masculinities among Indigenous and afro-Mexican men, UNDP selected and funded five civil society projects. These initiatives applied an innovative behavioural insights (BI) approach and impacted 2,592 Indigenous and Afro-Mexican men in the states of Chiapas, Guerrero, Quintana Roo and the State of Mexico.

With UNDP support, the Government of Mexico updated and published the National Baseline Assessment on Business and Human Rights, which fed into the draft National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and delivered human rights due diligence training for more than 50 companies.

Violence against women and girls, as well as the unjust social organization of care are among many pressing challenges in Mexico. According to Mexico’s National Survey on the Dynamics of Household Relationships (ENDIREH, 2021), women and girls aged 15 or older who have Indigenous affiliation and/or speak an Indigenous language were facing increasing levels of violence. To address this issue, and to promote gender equality and empower women, UNDP’s Global Programme for Strengthening the Rule of Law, Human Rights, Justice and Security for Sustainable Peace and Development (the Global Programme) supported a project aimed at transforming harmful practices of masculinity and eliminating them as drivers of discrimination and gender-based violence. UNDP convened civil society, national institutions and UN partners to address violence against women and girls by engaging Indigenous and Afro-Mexican men and boys to challenge social norms that prevent women from living in dignity. The project adopted an intersectional approach that focuses on changing power relations and systems and promotes human agency and participation.

For the first activity of the project, UNDP, jointly with UN Women and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) launched a public call to collect proposals from civil society organizations (CSOs), municipal and state-level government and academia to identify best practices of engaging Indigenous and Afro-Mexican men in Mexico in transforming masculinities. Based on the call, 25 proposals were received and ten selected to showcase their work on gender equality. The selected initiatives incorporate psychological, collective and spiritual aspects. Cultural elements, such as local rituals have been integral, connecting with the natural cycles and worldviews of these communities, integrating spirituality as a key component in eradicating violence and promoting non-toxic, non-violent masculinities. This comprehensive approach respects local customs and traditions, ensuring that gender concepts contribute to equity in Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities.

A series of videos that document transformative practices were produced and 25 in-depth interviews with national experts in masculinities were conducted to map innovative initiatives and relevant stakeholders in the country. Based on this evidence, a ground-breaking research paper was prepared, to be published in 2024 and shared with decision- and policymakers, as well as civil society, as a roadmap towards positive, co-responsible and non-violent masculinities among Indigenous and Afro-Mexican men.

In addition to collecting and systematizing evidence about existing best practices, UNDP sought to implement new initiatives to transform masculinities among Indigenous and Afro-Mexican men. Five proposals from the CSOs were selected and funded. These projects impacted 2,592 Indigenous and afro-Mexican men in the states of Chiapas, Guerrero, Quintana Roo and the State of Mexico. During the project implementation, an innovative behavioural insights (BI) approach was used to address toxic masculinities and gender-based violence. This approach leveraged local cultural dynamics and communication channels to foster transformative change in gender relations. Specifically, the local projects that received funding from UNDP utilized community radio and social media platforms, combined with interactive methodologies such as gameplay, training sessions with community leaders and art initiatives to engage and educate the community, particularly men and boys, on the importance of non-violent and equitable gender behaviours. One impactful practice was the integration of men and youth into caregiving roles, challenging traditional gender norms by demonstrating the value and responsibility of men in caregiving across life stages. 

The evidence and the lessons learned from all these activities were instrumental to plan and deliver a training on non-violent and co-responsible masculinities for members of the Federal Public Administration and community based CSOs. To expand capacity building and design an online training for state officials, UNDP collaborated with the Mexican National Institute of Women (INMUJERES) and the Women’s Secretariat of Mexico City. A survey was designed and disseminated among over 1,000 civil servants from all the 27 ministries of the Mexican Federal Government. The results of the survey will inform a report on masculinities in the Federal Administration that will provide recommendations on how to adapt public policies to address gender gaps and challenges that persist in the government

In addition, a network of 80 CSOs will be established to share experiences, engaging at least 150 participants from Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities. 

Furthermore, to promote South-South cooperation, all the lessons learnt, recommendations and findings from the intervention will provide a blueprint to transform social norms, promote positive masculinity and prevent gender-based violence in Latin America and the Caribbean. The knowledge exchange between Mexico and Cuba (where UNDP implements a similar project) marked the beginning of systematizing work with Indigenous and Afro-descendant men in the region.

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

In 2022, the UNDP Country Office in Mexico received an official letter from the Ministry of Interior (SEGOB) requesting technical support for the Government’s second attempt to develop a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP). The global business and human rights (B+HR) project funded by the Government of Japan responded and supported the design and consultative processes of a national diagnosis or a National Baseline Assessment on Business and Human Rights, which later enabled the development of a draft NAP. The project also built capacity for over 90 public servants through B+HR training. Additionally, UNDP developed policy briefs with specific recommendations for eight federal agencies to incorporate the B+HR approach into relevant laws and policies, as well as operational procedures where appropriate. With this, the project established links with the Federal Judiciary thus raising awareness on B+HR in the judicial sector of the Federal Government.

The project also built capacity in the private sector in Mexico on human rights due diligence (HRDD). More than 80 business representatives from over 50 companies participated in the B+HR Academy and peer-learning sessions. After two HRDD training sessions, two peer-to-peer learning workshops were held where companies were able to present their challenges, progress, as well as achievements in respecting human rights. Subsequently, the project delivered guidance sessions for eight companies to deepen the implementation of HRDD.

Lessons learned and good practices

UNDP’s collaboration with UN Women and UNFPA enabled a more comprehensive, culturally sensitive and impactful approach to promoting gender equality and non-violent masculinities within the targeted communities.

While launching the calls for proposals to identify practices that seek to transform harmful masculinities, it was crucial to consider the digital gap in Mexico and offer diversified channels of communication (telephone and e-mail assistance) so that community-based organizations could participate. 

To select the initiatives, clear assessment criteria were defined, covering both technical, but also  environmental, social and governance records of CSO applicants, to ensure that the selected organizations complied with UNDP’s guidelines. 

A people-centred approach was applied throughout the design, implementation and evaluation of the project, this ensured that participants felt engaged and that the human rights of Indigenous communities and Afro-Mexican people were always respected. 

Finally, the knowledge exchange with other UNDP Country Offices in the region will contribute to the sustainability of the initiative and build an evidence-based toolkit to tackle common challenges in the region with regards to gender equality.