Fernanda Monserrath Gutiérrez Zaragoza

Youth Advisory Group-GOYN CDMX

Hello, my name is Fernanda Zaragoza. I am a law student and member of the Youth Advisory Group (GAJ) at GOYN. Recently, I was a substitute candidate for local council in Coyoacán in these elections and I have participated in various dialogue tables in the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies. If I could define myself in 4 words it would be “Chilanga activist at heart”, since I have volunteered with children with cancer, with youth and with street animals. Adding all those activities that I carry out every day, I am also a caregiver and oncology patient under surveillance, responsible for the care of my brother, since my parents work to support our family.

Today I want to talk to you about an issue that worries me deeply as a young person and that I know affects many Mexicans: the care system. This system is crucial as it provides services and support to people who need help due to age, illness, disability or dependency. It includes public policies, professional services and family care, and its objective is to guarantee the well-being and social inclusion of those who need care, as well as to support their caregivers. It is very sad that in Mexico we do not have a true law that covers all these points.

In Mexico, there are approximately 3.7 million young people who cannot look for work because they are busy doing domestic and care work without receiving any remuneration. Of these, 93% are women, which is alarming and sad, since it places a disproportionate burden on us. 

While carrying out these responsibilities, we must also manage our daily activities such as studying, self-care, and working, not to mention the need for time to relax and enjoy our hobbies.

This leads us as young people to a loss of opportunities caused by the way in which unpaid care work is distributed, also called “time poverty”, which makes us neglect other areas of our lives such as school and work. labor, losing us the basic rights of a job, of law, such as having significant work progress, acquisition of social security rights, retirement rights, access to education and improvement of our skills. Which leads us or can lead us to a deplorable state of mental health.

I, personally, have experienced a significant burden of responsibilities from a young age, such as taking care of my brother and handling household chores, and even taking care of my own health, which has been a huge emotional and physical burden, which has I limited my time for personal, educational or work activities. This “time poverty” has been especially challenging during my participation in the campaign and political events, leading me to question my ability to take on political responsibilities. Even though I was a substitute, I feel like I could have achieved more with better organization. I recognize that the lack of planning for my future has been a constant challenge due to my responsibilities since I was young, including cancer treatment. However, this experience has motivated me to believe in myself and I am determined to face this year with determination. Although I still face difficulties in planning my future due to caregiving responsibilities that continue to limit my participation in work and student life.

Recently, together with Silvana Carranza, Úrsula Martínez, Marta Claudia and Priscila Monge, we presented an amparo before the Congress of Mexico City to demand that our role as caregivers be recognized. In this resource, we ask for fair working hours, equal recognition of care between men and women, and decent and quality conditions for those who carry out these fundamental tasks.

It is essential to build a care map that consults caregivers directly, since they are the ones who experience these difficulties every day. We need to be consulted through dialogue tables, panels with experts and in different spaces such as hospitals, schools, markets and prisons, in order to develop conscious, empathetic and humane public policies.

I believe that it is important to raise our voices for those young people who cannot do so, since they do not have the opportunities they deserve. We are in line to act and seek solutions, playing a fundamental role as architects of our own present and future.

It is important to promote peace, defend human rights, reinforce the protection of civic space and guarantee an environment that allows us to participate meaningfully in peace, security and public policy efforts, or in any agenda that catches our attention. 

Young people are not only citizens with equal rights, but also powerful agents of change whose voices must be fully heard. I believe that change agents have the DNA of change, which consists of awareness, understanding, persistence, determination, action, participation, collaboration, alliance and empathy.

As young people, it is crucial to demand our rights and ensure our voices are heard. We need to be consulted and not forgotten, because we are the present and the future of our country. Actively participating in politics and being agents of change is essential for me, as it allows me to raise everyone's voice.

It is important to fight for our ideals or concerns; In my case, the topic of politics is one that I am completely passionate about. I know that politics has lost credibility among the Mexican people, but today I consider that we are the present and we have to assume true responsibility. We must have awareness, credibility, inspire trust and security, work for the common good, have coherence, seek radical change, know how to love and serve. If we as young politicians or agents of change build a career without losing sight of these elements, the Mexican people will finally have the government and the opportunities they deserve.

Finally, I want to mention a quote from Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist: “Change never comes from comfortable places. It requires courage, resilience and unwavering determination.“.

To conclude, I would like to share my social networks: IG: moon.zaragoza. 

Let's be resilient, brave and patient.

Thank you for listening to me and for being part of the change we want to see in our country!