Translated by Andrés Martínez Forero
The Secretariat for Women’s Affairs and Bogotá's International Relations Office hosted the ambassadors of Portugal, Catarina Arruda, and Türkiye, Beste Pehlivan Sun.
The diplomats, along with their teams, toured the Manitas Care Block in Ciudad Bolívar, one of the best examples of Bogotá's Care System. Not only was it the first to be inaugurated, but it also exemplifies the integration of city services and entities focused on the well-being of women caregivers, all within walking distance.
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During the visit, Secretary for Women’s Affairs Laura Tami Leal explained to the international delegation that Ciudad Bolívar is known for having a high number of women caregivers. This is why the Secretariat for Women’s Affairs has a presence in three locations: Manitas, Mochuelo, and Ecoparque.
Secretary Tami Leal explained how priority zones are chosen for the Care Blocks and highlighted that the main goal of the Care System is to reduce the time poverty caused by caregiving responsibilities that women have historically shouldered.
"We are very happy to have you here. Our aim has always been to give women more time so that, if they have other life projects and want to do something other than caregiving, they can. This is a commitment to equality. Balancing the playing field is a feminist vision for the city, and that really excites me," Secretary Tami Leal said, explaining how services and city entities are coordinated around the Care Blocks to balance caregiving duties.
Additionally, the secretary mentioned Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán's commitment to cultural transformation, a recurring theme in the first four months of his administration, aimed at changing attitudes towards caregiving.
"We don't provide services just for the sake of it. We genuinely want to transform certain stereotypes, and this administration has a deep commitment to Cultural Transformation," she concluded.
Sandra Borda, Counselor for International Relations of Bogotá, reiterated that Mayor Galán decided to advance, continue, and commit to the Care System, which offers excellent opportunities to showcase this successful care model to the world. This model has already been visited by more than 15 international delegations in the first four months of this administration.
"Our main allies in the diplomatic corps, regarding the work done by the Secretariat for Women’s Affairs, are the women ambassadors. We are very happy to have them here and for their participation in this process of learning about and recognizing this experience. From my perspective, this is the most inspiring experience Bogotá has to offer," the counselor emphasized.
The delegation visited the TransMiCable, community laundromats, and the lookout point where sports and recreational activities like aerobics, dance, and the Bike School take place. They also toured the services offered by the Secretariat for Women’s Affairs, including psycho-legal support, the Secretariat for Economic Development for employment and entrepreneurship, and the Art of Caring initiative.
In Bogotá, we care for those who care for us!
