- - -
Mexican Elections: an opportunity to centre SRHR in Mexico’s agenda

News item

Mexican Elections: an opportunity to centre SRHR in Mexico’s agenda

The International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Regional Office in the Americas and the Caribbean (IPPF ACRO) congratulates Claudia Sheinbaum, who has made history as the first female president in...

The International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Regional Office in the Americas and the Caribbean (IPPF ACRO) congratulates Claudia Sheinbaum, who has made history as the first female president in Mexico. We share our hope that this election represents an opportunity to renew efforts in advancing gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights. 

The cultural shift happening in Mexico that has allowed a woman to be elected as president cannot go unnoticed,” said Eugenia López Uribe, IPPF ACRO Regional Director. “Indeed, it is not only a historic moment for Mexico, but for the region, an opportunity to face the anti-rights movements positioned in the highest government levels, and to react to them with human rights- based polices, programs and services. 

In the past few years, Mexico has, on several occasions, proven its commitment to be a secular state that respects reproductive and sexual autonomy. In 2022, the Mexican Supreme Court declared abortion criminalization to be unconstitutional. The Court mandated every state must take steps to guarantee access to safe abortion, and 20 of the 32 states adopted reforms that recognize and protect transgender people when they wish to officially change their gender marker on identity documents. Both are examples of significant progress towards sexual and reproductive justice, which has allowed public institutions and civil society organizations, including the Mexican Family Planning Foundation, Mexfam, to provide sexual and reproductive health access to underserved communities around the country. 

Mexican women and girls in all their diversity, LGBTQI+ folks, sex workers, people living with HIV, youth, displaced people, people living in poverty, and those in more vulnerable situations need not only progress in law making processes, but efficient public policies to guarantee they have real access to such rights.

In this historical moment, IPPF ACRO urges the newly elected government to continue building a human rights-based structure that will eliminate social and legal barriers hindering access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. This includes essential services such as gender-based violence prevention, abortion care, fertility care, HIV and STI treatment, and gender-affirming care. Particular attention must be given to those who, due to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, geography, education, or financial situation, have been systematically left behind. 

“There has been considerable progress made towards advancing sexual and reproductive rights in the last years,” stated Eugenia López Uribe, who is Mexican herself. “Our hope is that president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum together with the more than 20,000 public officials elected on June 2 will join us to further guaranteeing adequate financing to guarantee the right to high-quality services related to sexuality and reproduction, to the 127.5 million people living in Mexico.” 

when

country

Mexico

region

Americas & the Caribbean

Subject

Advocacy

Related Member Association

MEXFAM - Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar

“The cultural shift happening in Mexico that has allowed a woman to be elected as president cannot go unnoticed,” said Eugenia López Uribe, IPPF ACRO Regional Director. “Indeed, it is not only a historic moment for Mexico, but for the region, an opportunity to face the anti-rights movements positioned in the highest government levels, and to react to them with human rights- based polices, programs ...