PRI pushes reform to prevent Secretariat of Women from being vacant over 30 days

Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) is pushing for a legislative reform to prevent the Secretariat of Women from experiencing prolonged leadership vacuums. The proposal comes after the resignation of Citlalli Hernández on April 16, leaving the position vacant. Although Laura Itzel Castillo was named to the role, her official swearing-in is not until September.

Federal deputy Ariana Rejón Lara introduced the amendment to the Organic Law of the Federal Public Administration. The goal is to guarantee uninterrupted national policy on substantive equality and the protection of women's rights. The reform seeks to add provisions to Article 42 Bis, creating a clear mechanism for institutional continuity within the Secretariat.

The proposed reform includes two key guarantees: a 30-day natural limit for the Federal Executive to appoint a new head of the Secretariat in cases of absolute vacancy (due to resignation, removal, death, or permanent incapacity). It also establishes an immediate procedure for the relevant undersecretary to assume interim responsibilities, ensuring the dependency's operations continue without interruption and avoiding authority gaps.

Deputy Rejón Lara emphasized that a permanent and operational institutional leadership is essential for the Mexican state to effectively fulfill its obligations. She warned that extended vacancies not only pose administrative organizational problems but also directly impact the protection of fundamental constitutional and conventional rights for women, adolescents, and girls. The initiative clarifies that it does not aim to limit the Executive's discretionary appointment powers but to ensure the gender policy body always has high-level leadership to fulfill its core functions.

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The existence of a permanent and operational institutional leadership is a condition for the effectiveness of the obligations of the Mexican state.