Local and Regional Governments Day

Women leaders from the Feminist Municipal Movement and local and regional governments from around the world gathered in New York City, on September 20, 2024, for the Local and Regional Governments Day of the Summit of the Future: “Caring Territories for the Future: Feminist Municipalism for Equality, Climate Action, Democracy, and Peace”. 

Hosted as an official side event of the UN Summit of the Future Action Days, this event was organized by United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Government of Mexico and UN Women, with support from the Global Alliance for Care and the Generation Equality Forum Action Coalitions on Feminist Movements and Leadership and Economic Justice and Rights. It brought together mayors, governors and partners from civil society to advance a new paradigm in local and global governance and underscored the critical role of care, women’s political participation and the inclusion of youth and marginalized communities in promoting equality, addressing climate change, and safeguarding democracy and peace.

The event is part of the activities led by UCLG within the WYDE Women’s Leadership initiative, launched in March this year. Funded by the European Union, this initiative aims to enhance women’s political participation and decision-making globally. It is implemented by UN Women, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UCLG, as part of the Women and Youth in Democracy (WYDE) programme. This event highlighted UCLG’s commitment to supporting locally elected women, amplifying their voices, and fostering inclusive and equality-driven governance.

The event is also a contribution to the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, aligning with the thematic deep dive defined by UN Women for September 2024, on power and decision-making. As part of the UCLG Women Facility‘s efforts to strengthen partnerships and knowledge co-creation, discussions contributed to shaping collective advocacy and strategies for ensuring that local and regional governments are at the forefront of transformative action.

The event started with a breakfast and networking moment, with a warm welcome from Nadine Gasman Zylbermann, President of the National Institute of Women, Government of Mexico; Moni Pizani, Representative in Mexico for UN Women; and Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG. They set a collaborative and hopeful tone for the day, emphasizing the need for unity in advancing care principles in local governance. Nadine Gasman recalled the Latin American concept of caring societies, urging for a paradigm shift where governments prioritize people over things, and emphasizing the importance of local communities in shaping the global agendas. Moni Pizani highlighted the importance of sharing experiences and strategic visions across diverse stakeholders and commended UCLG for its leadership in advancing a feminist, gender-based and rights-based agenda. Emilia Saiz called for bold transformative actions, emphasizing the need for collaboration between organized civil society, local and regional governments, and member states, noting the shift led by initiatives like the Generation Equality Forum and its Action Coalitions.

The event was officially opened by Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President of the Nouakchott Region (Mauritania), and Raquel Coello, Policy Advisor and Global Lead on Care for UN Women. Fatimetou Abdel Malick emphasized her own journey as the first female mayor and president of a region in Mauritania and recalled UCLG’s commitment to feminist municipalism, highlighting that women’s leadership and care are essential for achieving true inclusivity and ecological transition. Raquel Coello called for the UN resolution on care and systems for social development to be translated into local action, noting the role of the Global Alliance for Care in this regard.

The first segment focused on the role of public service provision in the redistribution of care responsibilities and on women’s participation as lever for a rights-based policy-making centered on equality. It was facilitated by Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG. 

Sharon Dijksma, Mayor of Utrecht (Netherlands) emphasized the need for collective action to address the persistent issue of women’s underpayment and to achieve equality and meaningful participation of women in politics, building on the legacy of social and feminist movements. Shawyn Patterson-Howard, Mayor of Mount Vernon (USA), highlighted how as mayor, she leveraged her background in social services to create a comprehensive care ecosystem focused on housing, food security, financial empowerment, and gender-based budgeting, while also promoting generational wealth-building and supporting young women through mentorship, training and education initiatives. Rohey Malick Lowe, Mayor of Banjul (Gambia) and President of the Network of Locally Elected Women from Africa (REFELA) highlighted the importance of care as the foundation for building social and economic communities, advocating for policies, budgets, as well as acknowledging and supporting the critical role in society, especially as the only female mayor in her country. Mauricio Zunino, Mayor of Montevideo (Uruguay) emphasized that the city’s feminist identity and sustainable care policies, such as the Resuena program for migrants, transcend leadership, focusing on both political and cultural aspects of caregiving. Elise Pereira, Deputy Mayor of Tours (France), shared examples of comprehensive care policies, including mental health support and gender-based flexible work arrangements, and local services for vulnerable populations. 

Young commitment makers within the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership contributed to centering the conversation on youth needs and aspirations for the present and the future, as prioritized by the Action Day of the Summit of the Future: #YouthLead for the Future. Ishaan Shah, Co-Founder of Stolen Dreams and UN Women National Youth Advocate, called for moving beyond engaging men and boys to holding them accountable, urging a collective commitment to dismantle patriarchy and redefine a more inclusive social contract based on care, while countering the growing anti-rights movement that threatens these values. Aarushi Khanna, Asia Lead at Equal Measures 2030, emphasized the need for investments in social protection and infrastructure that prioritize safety and inclusivity, while using data and fostering women’s participation in the design of societies that are more just and peaceful.

Lorena Zarate, Coordinator of the Global Platform for the Right to the City, noted that welfare policies, increasingly challenging to implement, should root in local initiatives inspired by civil society and community organizing. Foteini Papagioti, Deputy Director Policy and Advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women, highlighted the need to increase wages for caregivers, especially as aging populations and climate crises place greater demands on them, and emphasized that local governments play a crucial role in fostering community and collective care to counter the isolation experienced by care workers and recipients. Wessel van den Berg, Senior Advocacy Officer at Equimundo, focused on creating communities that nurture the caring nature of children and advocating for policies that hold men accountable for care, including through initiatives like Men Care, aiming to change perceptions and integrate caregiving into national policies, in 70 countries. Jacqueline Leduc, Representative in NY of Make Mothers Matter, emphasized the need for structural changes to recognize and support care work, primarily performed by mothers and grandmothers. Sofía García García, Head of Strategic Partnerships of SOS Children’s Villages, highlighted the profound impact of care systems on children and caregivers, advocating for well-resourced and city-supported care systems.

Facilitated by Ana Moreno, Technical Secretary of the Global Alliance for Care, the second segment centered the conversations on caring for our planet, from a social justice perspective. 

Fatiha El Moudni, Mayor of Rabat (Morocco) highlighted the role of the Feminist Municipal Movement in driving climate action and care through integrated urban planning that focuses on safety, inclusivity, and gender-responsive infrastructures, and emphasized the need for greater involvement of women in policy-making at upcoming global events. Jeni Arndt, Mayor of Fort Collins (USA), highlighted the rapid and optimistic change led by women in her community, with women holding almost all key leadership positions across sectors, advocating for an inclusive ecological transformation and ensuring a just transition for all workers as the city closes its coal-fired plant. Nicola Armacost, Mayor of Hastings-on-Hudson (USA), stressed the importance of engaging young women in local climate initiatives and providing them with mentorship and leadership opportunities, sharing how two young women inspired the creation of 22 micro-grants for youth-led projects, which have transformed the community and empowered young people to become confident agents of change. These projects are led within the Youth Climate Action Fund, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies in collaboration with UCLG and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University, and in which Fort Collins is also participating. Véronique Bertholle, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg (France) emphasized a radical transformation of the city, focusing on creating a desirable living environment through greening streets and school courtyards, improving transportation access with free rides for under-18s, and addressing poor air quality in marginalized neighborhoods. Irene Galindo, Deputy Mayor of Los Cabos (Mexico), noted the recent significant progress in women’s representation, emphasizing that public policy should ensure mandatory equal representation and not overlook the importance of civil society’s role.

Ayshka Najib from Fridays for Future MAPA, and a young commitment maker in the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership, called for a gender-responsive approach to the climate crisis, emphasizing the need to invest in the care economy, advocating for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, and demanding that young people be co-leaders in a just transition that includes care work as a key component in climate policies. Ankita Panda, Senior Program Officer at the Asia Foundation, urged to integrate care into climate strategies, support community-led care during crises, invest in care infrastructure, and gather more data on how climate crises impact women’s caregiving responsibilities. Erin Tansey, Director for Inclusive and Sustainable Economies at the International Development Research Center, mentioned the need for research and funding that supports grassroots organizations in understanding how climate change intensifies the demand for care and weakens care systems, highlighting the Care and Climate Initiative.

The last segment focused on the role of women’s political participation, feminist leadership and caring policies to safeguard democracy, by building peace and aiming at renewing multilateralism. It was facilitated by Isatou D. Badjie, thematic coordination lead of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Economic Justice & Rights. 

Philippe Rio, Mayor of Grigny (France), called for resisting patriarchy and advancing feminist urbanism through better transportation, feminizing public spaces, and visibilizing and promoting women in public space, emphasizing that their leadership brings positive change and a more peaceful city. Clare Hart, Vice-President, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole (France), pointed out that true peace and progress require diverse women’s representation in power, called for addressing both physical and cyber violence against women, and advocated for local participatory democracy to ensure all voices are involved in combating discrimination and violence. Carlos Martinez, Mayor of Soria (Spain), called for strategies and public policies to make this invisible labor visible, emphasizing the need for clear political will, financing, and legislation, as demonstrated by the Spanish government’s current efforts. Fernando Cabezas Reveco, First Secretary, Division of Multilateral Affairs, Government of Chile, highlighted the principle of co-responsibility, calling for greater international recognition, and emphasized Chile’s national care system as an example.

Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Chief Executive Officer of GWL Voices and President of Cities Alliance, reiterated the need for local governments to have a stronger voice in global decision-making, building upon the UCLG Pact for the Future and bridging the gap with the UN Pact of the Future. Prabhleen Tuteja, Executive Director of the YP Foundation and a young commitment maker in the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership,  stressed the need to place gender transformative rights at the center, and emphasized the critical role of affirmative actions to boost education and equal opportunities in decisión-making, especially for women, young people and non-binary communities. Eleanor Blomstrom, Senior Manager for Policy and Advocacy at Women Deliver, pledged to protect girls’ and women’s bodily autonomy and highlighted the new Global Roadmap for the Care Economy recently launched with the support of the Global Alliance for Care. 

The event concluded with Jemimah Njuki, Chief of the Economic Empowerment Division, UN Women. She highlighted the shared responsibility creating the conditions for caring and just societies, and reiterated UN Women’s commitment to continue to work with cities and municipalities towards building a caring society based on feminist principles.