The Great Masterpiece: A Breastfeeding Room
In an act that, without a doubt, will mark a before and after in the history of humanity (or at least of Guadalupe), Governor Samuel Alejandro García Sepúlveda and his wife, Mariana Rodríguez Cantú, deigned to inaugurate a lactario. Not just any one, it’s number 118! Because nothing says “commitment to equality” like keeping a detailed account of each little room with a chair and a plug that is enabled. The setting for this epic was the Tierra Propia Community Center, where the ribbon cutting must have felt as momentous as the discovery of a new chemical element.
During the ceremony, which surely competed in audience with the premiere of the latest fashion series, García Sepúlveda spoke big words. He declared that these strategies, in a display of monumental obviousness, seek to guarantee equality and equity for heads of family and caregivers. What a revelation! Who knew that supporting those who sustain the world with their unpaid work could be a good idea. The couple, in a gesture of generosity that will leave future generations speechless, also distributed cards from the “We Help Women” program.
Does the Revolution Come in the Form of a Card and Free Transportation?
In a plot twist that no one saw coming, the state leader revealed a revolutionary feature of the cards: they are also used for electronic payment on public transportation. And not only that, but they offer free fare at a time specifically studied to… encourage morning walks? Between 10:00 and 13:00, beneficiaries will be able to travel free of charge. Because, let’s be honest, what better time to resolve your issues than in the middle of the morning, a time known for its low influx and zero saturation in the cities? This colossal support joins, they solemnly tell us, other social programs such as “Take Care of Your Health” and “Zero Hunger“, which, against all odds, “will continue in force.” Thank goodness, we were already worried.
Meanwhile, Mariana Rodríguez Cantú, probably overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event, reminded those present of a fact that was as surprising as it was sadly true: one in three families in Mexico is headed by a woman. To recognize this titanic effort, the program grants the modest sum of 2 thousand pesos per month. An amount that, as we all know, completely solves the complex economic gap and fairly recognizes the work of raising a family. Isn’t that right?
A Community Center that Has Everything (or Almost)
The Secretary of Equality and Inclusion, Martha Herrera González, did not want to be outdone and raised the discursive ante. He highlighted that with this great strategy, care work, traditionally invisible, is made visible and supported. What a relief to know that after centuries of being the invisible basis of the economy, care work has finally been “made visible” with a lactator and a card. As part of this service offensive, a Public Service Station was installed in the same center, where citizens can access eye exams, printing of birth certificates and legal advice. Basically, a shopping center of bureaucracy and basic health, but without the annoying clothing stores.
To give the tone of seriousness and relevance that the event deserved, the procession was adorned with the presence of the mayor of Guadalupe, Héctor García; the Secretary of Health, Alma Rosa Marroquín Escamilla; and the secretary of Citizen Participation, Daniel Acosta Fregoso, among other dignitaries. All of them, along with the inhabitants of the community, witnessed how an act of public management becomes a media spectacle that, ironically, announces measures that should be the norm and not the exception.
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