Association seeks to combat inequality
First Expo-Bazaar of women graduates of the program. Photo: Courtesy.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía – At least 22 women from the municipality of Jocotepec are benefitting from the Second Chance program of the United Nations, provided through Pro México San Juan Cosalá.
The program is designed to combat gender inequality faced by Mexican women. It currently operates in only three states: Puebla, Jalisco and the State of Mexico. Second Chance says that in 2019, only 45 percent of Mexican women were part of the labor force, while 77 of men were employed. This is one of the lowest figures of the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The UN also disclosed that of the 4.7 million Mexicans over 15 years of age who are illiterate, more than 61 percent are women.
Through Pro México, comprehensive support is being provided to women in the riverside municipality. They are taught topics such as personal finances and they gain new skills through a series of workshops. They also learn about becoming entrepreneurs using the skills they acquire, and they learn how to develop a life plan.
María Sara Alicia López Macías, a 60-year-old retired teacher, is a good example of a woman who received a Second Chance. After her retirement, the income she was earning decreased considerably. That and a lack of activities began to affect her state of mind.
“I had all the time in the world, but I didn’t know how to use it. Besides, before my retirement I was earning not as much as my pension, so I needed to find another source of income,” said Sara, a graduate of the program, one of the first two generations.
Thanks to the Second Chance program, Sara managed to consolidate her brand of dehydrated fruits such as lentils and poblano strips, seductive wines with different flavors of blueberry, grape, plum and tamarind, as well as different flavors of tizanas called “teas for the soul, because they evoke memories of my childhood,” she said. For her brand, she chose the name “Masali,” inspired by her own name.
“The Bazaar was a great success,” said Blanca Padilla, one of the people in charge of Pro México. “Approximately 300 people sold their products and offered their services.”
Padilla said the program represents an important tool for the women of the riverbanks. While some need to increase their income, other women are in situations of violence, and the program represents the only lifeline to leave their aggressors. One current program participant has a device called a life pulse, created to safeguard the integrity of women in a situation of domestic violence.
Blanca Padilla urged the community to support the association. She pointed to a lack of resources and said the idea is to be able to reach more women. To support the program, call 3333-2586-63 or email e.solidariapromexico@gmail.com.
Translated by Mike Rogers
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