Tec and UN Women form partnership to promote equality program

The “Safe Campuses for the Prevention of Gender Violence” program was launched at the Tec’s Monterrey campus, aiming to create spaces for equality.

As a result of a partnership between Tecnológico de Monterrey and UN Women, this gender equality initiative will also be implemented on all campuses throughout the country.

After signing the agreement on March 21, the Tec became the first educational institution in Mexico to implement the Safe Campus Program.

“Tecnológico de Monterrey has made a steadfast commitment to building a community free of gender-based violence. We’ve focused our efforts on diversity and inclusion.

“We advocate the importance of respect for individual rights, equal opportunity, and fair treatment,” said Mario Adrian Flores, Vice President of the Monterrey Region.

Belén Sanz, the representative for UN Women in Mexico, highlighted that universities are key training spaces for inclusion, security, and freedom for women and girls.

“This launch is a call to act, to not stand on the sidelines, to make a real commitment with the community around violence prevention,” Sanz said.

The “Building safe campuses for the Tec community” panel was also held at the launch on August 16 in the Library auditorium.

Participating in the event were Inés Sáenz, the Tec’s Vice President of Inclusion, Social Impact, and Sustainability; Marina Macías, representative of the Tec’s Girl Up student group, and Deisy Hernández, Director of the Municipal Institute for Regia Women.

Also present were Mariana Gabarrot, professor at the School of Humanities, and Emilio Alvarez, national director of Borregos Athletics.

“This launch is a call to action.”- Belén Sanz

About the Safe Campus Program

The Safe Campus Program is based on an existing global program from UN Women called Safe Cities, explained Belén Sanz.

“This program (Safe Cities) has a proven, robust, and solid methodology that begins with the aim to diagnose the situation in public spaces.

“Based on that, we can create regulatory policies, protocols to address them, develop the necessary infrastructure, and work with the community to prevent violence,” Sanz said.

The “Safe Campus for the Prevention of Gender Violence” program is based on a methodology that has an intervention approach based on three pillars:

1. Impact on the Tec community

The program consists of preventing gender violence by involving students, professors, staff members, trainers, and coaches, among others, in activities, awareness-raising workshops, and actions aimed at good prevention practices.

2. Internal transformation

This focuses on the implementation of policies and actions aimed at gender equality, as objectives in terms of representation and development opportunities for women, as well as the elimination of gender violence within the Institution.

3. Social transformation

This promotes the transformation of social standards, attitudes, and behaviors in the Tec community with joint communication actions in favor of women’s rights in all their diversity, to have safe educational spaces, free of violence and discrimination.

‘This program is fertile ground’

Marina Macías, representative of Girl Up at the Tec, pointed out that with the Safe Campus Program, the student community must participate in the creation of spaces for equality.

“This program is fertile ground to grow lasting change, to get closer to what our peers and educators need to create collective care,” said Macías.

The Monterrey campus student added that Girl Up is committed to continuing to build a bond between the student community and the institution to create spaces of equality.

“Let’s take advantage of this project to imagine new possible futures in which we devise ways to engage with the wellbeing and safety of our environment.

“Especially taking responsibility for our part in that change,” said Macías.

Girl Up Tec de Monterrey is a Campus Club created during the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign.

The Tec de Monterrey Campus Club inspires, convenes, trains, and connects girls around the world, helping them to position themselves as leaders and stakeholders of change.

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