Mexico Hosts International Forum on Feminist Cities

• Mexico held the country's first forum on feminist cities to rethink urban design through a gender perspective and construct more humane, safe, accessible, and inclusive cities for women and girls.
• The forum aligns with Mexico's feminist foreign policy and President Claudia Sheinbaum's priority of advancing toward a republic for and by women.

Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Secretary of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development, Edna Vega Rangel, and the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Foreign Ministry, Enrique Ochoa, organized the Feminist Cities Forum this week at the Foreign Ministry.

The innovative forum, organized by the Foreign Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development, the Ministry of Women, UN-Habitat, UN Women, the University of Guadalajara, and the Ford Foundation, highlighted efforts to transform cities into safe and accessible places for women and to exchange experiences about building feminist cities.

During the opening session, Secretary Vega stressed the importance of public policies that transform women's daily lives. She said, "Feminist cities prioritize safety and care and address the needs and experiences of women and all people facing structural inequalities."

Undersecretary Ochoa said the forum aligns with Mexico's feminist foreign policy and President Sheinbaum's priorities to advance a "republic for and by women," with the goal of addressing structural inequalities that limit the rights and opportunities of women, adolescents, and girls.

The forum featured a keynote address by Canadian academic Leslie Kern, author of "Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World," who explained why women must participate in urban planning processes to ensure public spaces are safe, accessible, and designed with women's needs in mind.

Three panel discussions covered feminist urban planning and design, the right to care under the Tlatelolco Commitment, and local experiences of feminist cities including Mexico City, Glasgow, Barcelona, and Guadalajara.

The forum explored feminist urbanism, the right to the city, and care policies as ways to plan and inhabit urban environments differently. Participants discussed integrating gender equity into urban planning and policy, and investing in basic infrastructure-such as lighting and public restrooms-that supports care, accessibility, and safety.

Over 150 national and international experts in urban planning, gender equality, mobility, security, and public policy participated, along with researchers, feminist organizations and collectives, students, community leaders, and representatives of local governments.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms its commitment to Mexico's feminist foreign policy and to advancing the construction of societies and cities that are safer, fairer, and more inclusive for women and girls.