Understanding Care as a Right
When we think about care, it inevitably brings to mind the mothers of Mexico and around the world, culturally established in this way. Therefore, a National Care System (SNC) not only requires physical infrastructure but also a new mindset.
A National Care System is complex by its nature, as it requires various components that must come together to resemble what currently happens in Mexican households, where children, the elderly, sick individuals, and people with disabilities are cared for.
Adriana Sofía Oseguera Gamba’s Perspective
Adriana Sofía Oseguera Gamba, Director for the National and Progressive Care System at DIF, explains this concept using the “care diamonds” metaphor. It involves families, social sectors (public and private), which are the fundamental actors in distributing responsibilities.
However, today this care distribution falls on families and, to a large extent, women who perform these tasks. According to INEGI statistics, women dedicate 14.6 hours to caring for the first infancy compared to 6 hours spent by men, highlighting the need for equitable redistribution.
Changing Cultural Mindset
Gracia Alfonsina Morales Alzaga, Director of Care Policy in the Secretariat of Women, emphasizes during a Senate analysis panel that before redistributing care responsibilities, there must be a cultural shift.
She advocates for transitioning to a “care society” where care is not solely the responsibility of women. According to the policy paper “Cuidados para la primera infancia: Recomendaciones hacia la conformación del Sistema Nacional de Cuidados,” 96% of first-infancy caregivers are women, primarily mothers (86%) and grandmothers (7%).
Invisible Care Work
Beyond the stereotypes that have shaped care work perception, this activity is often unseen, unpaid, and not always recognized as a right or public issue. Gracia Alfonsina Morales Alzaga stresses the importance of establishing a common reference framework so society understands what a care society is and why recognizing care as a right is crucial.
Breaking Paradigms
Martha Barragán Méndez believes that creating a care system is the most significant paradigm shift for Mexican society, requiring “new understandings, pedagogy, and breaking stereotypes.”
By changing paradigms, she explains that regulations, laws, company internal policies, budgets, and even infrastructure models must be altered for this transformation to occur.
She cites South Korea as an example, where companies offered incentives for employees to live close together, care for one another, and form supportive communities. In Seoul, families have regrouped, living within 5 to 10 minutes of each other.
The National Care System presents an opportunity to dignify people’s lives, according to Martha Barragán. She explains that in Mexico, there’s a growing phenomenon of homeless elderly individuals because their adult children must choose between supporting their nuclear family or caring for aging parents requiring long-term care.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the National Care System (SNC)? It’s a comprehensive approach requiring infrastructure and a shift in societal mindset to ensure care is recognized as a right and distributed equitably.
- Why is changing the cultural mindset crucial for SNC? It’s essential to involve men actively in caregiving tasks, promoting gender equality and providing opportunities for women.
- What are the benefits of a care society? It ensures that care is not solely women’s responsibility, allowing them to pursue personal development and professional growth.
- How can we break care work stereotypes? By altering regulations, laws, and pedagogical approaches to promote shared responsibility.
- What lessons can we learn from South Korea’s care system? Companies offering incentives for employees to live close together fosters supportive communities and shared care responsibilities.
