- On International Women's Day, Foreign Secretary Bárcena Ibarra highlighted the role of women diplomats in building strong foreign relations and in initiatives that benefit Mexico and other countries.
- The Foreign Ministry announces five appointments of women to lead Mexican consulates; four promotions to the rank of ambassador and two for ambassadors emeritus.
Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena Ibarra commemorated International Women's Day with a message in which she acknowledged the historical situation of women and today’s challenges to achieving equality in all areas of society.
"Today we commemorate International Women's Day to declare loudly that this inequality is not normal or natural, and to reiterate that we deserve the same rights and opportunities: no more, no less; and to remember that we are not alone, that we have achieved much and that we will achieve much more. Because women's equality is essential for building healthy and prosperous societies," said Secretary Bárcena.
She also highlighted the role of women diplomats in building strong foreign relations and in initiatives that benefit Mexico and other countries.
As an example, she mentioned Hermila Galindo, a feminist pioneer who became involved in foreign policy in 1915; Palma Guillén, an intellectual who in 1935 was the first Mexican woman to hold a diplomatic post; and Amalia González, a militant feminist and playwright, who, among other women, would not remain in the places assigned to them by the patriarchy.
To reflect on the topic, the Foreign Ministry organized the panel: "Feminist Foreign Policy: A Tool to Assist Mexican Women Abroad," with the participation of Ximena Mariscal de Alba, the first secretary and coordinator of the Feminist Foreign Policy; Cinthya Prida Bravo, Executive Director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME); the Consul General of Mexico in Chicago, Reyna Torres Mendívil, and the Director of the Gender Unit at the Foreign Ministry, Marisela Delgado Hernández.
Also in attendance were the Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, Alicia Kerber Palma; the Director General of Protection and Strategic Prospective at the Foreign Ministry, Vanessa Calva Ruiz; the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN in Geneva, Francisca Méndez Escobar; IME Executive Director "A" Julieta Olivia Muñoz Olmos; the Ambassador of Mexico in Colombia, Martha Patricia Ruíz Anchondo; the Coordinator of International Affairs of the National Women's Institute (Inmujeres), Sandra Patricia Mendoza Durán; the Executive Director of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (Amexcid), Gloria Sandoval Salas, and Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs María Teresa Mercado Pérez.
In her message, Secretary Bárcena applauded the fact that the Foreign Ministry sowed the seeds of feminism by adopting a feminist foreign policy to put the rights of women, young women and girls at the heart of international action.
The coordinator of the feminist foreign policy, Ximena Mariscal de Alba, said that the initiative consists of increasing women’s participation in foreign policy, but also in applying the gender perspective in all of Mexico’s activities abroad.
"This initiative corresponds to and is consistent with Mexico's very long tradition in multilateral forums of fighting for women’s rights, and all their diversity. The feminist foreign policy is consistent with and committed to the practice of consular protection for Mexicans abroad," she said.
Prior to the event, the Foreign Secretary accompanied President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at his morning conference, where she said that the feminist struggle is not about women replacing men, but about women having equal rights and power, especially power over themselves.
"It is about achieving economic autonomy, equality in income and opportunities, decision-making, fighting against violence against women and building a society of care. It is about recognizing, valuing and strengthening the women of the Mexican community abroad," she concluded.
Foreign Secretary Bárcena Ibarra announces promotions and consular appointments
Secretary Alicia Bárcena Ibarra recognized the exceptional merits and service to Mexico in the field of foreign policy of Ambassador Norma Bertha Pensado Moreno and Ambassador Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo, who were named Eminent Ambassadors. Both ambassadors have had an outstanding professional career as part of the Mexican Foreign Service.
In addition, four ministers were promoted to the rank of ambassador: Jennifer Sophie Catherine Feller Enriquez, who currently serves as Director General for Europe and Mexico's G20 Sherpa; Claudia Velasco Osorio, Consul General in Raleigh; Ana Berenice Diaz Ceballos Parada, currently Consul General of Mexico in Vancouver; and Jonathan Chait Auerbach, Director General of Protocol at the Foreign Ministry and next head of Cultural and Tourist Diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry.
In order to achieve parity in Mexico’s consular network in the U.S., one of the goals of Foreign Secretary Bárcena’s administration, five women were proposed as consuls of Mexico.
Gabriela Patricia Pinzón Sánchez will serve as consul in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Patricia Cortés as consul in Las Vegas, Nevada; Nuria Paulina Zúñiga Alaniz as consul in Fresno, California; Judith Marcia Arrieta Munguia as consul in Brownsville, Texas; and Ana Luisa Vallejo Barba as consul general in San Francisco, California.
With these actions and appointments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to strengthen its commitment to a feminist foreign policy and gender equality.
