Mexico City, October 19th, 2017.- One month after the September 19th earthquake, as part of our humanitarian response strategy, in addition to the actions that Oxfam México is implementing in Oaxaca, Morelos and Puebla, we are participating in #Epicentro to promote reconstruction based on the rights of the affected people, under humanitarian standards and with a gender perspective.

#Epicentro is a civic platform with 65 organizations and civil society initiatives that are united to monitor the correct and transparent use of public resources, and make concrete proposals so that the reconstruction meets the needs of people and integrates measures to reduce risks of future disasters.

As part of our humanitarian response, Oxfam México’s participation obeys the urgency of taking into account the differentiated needs of women, men, boys and girls, indigenous people, the elderly and people with disabilities during the rehabilitation and reconstruction stages; and implement appropriate solutions for each group. That is why we focus on:

• Ensuring the active and permanent participation of women and girls in the design of new buildings, infrastructure and services to help reduce structural inequalities due to gender

• Making the census results of damage and the (that have been granted to households with information disaggregated by sex, age, ethnicity, disability, among others), transparent and broadcasting them. That is, working from a rights standpoint and with a gender perspective, so that those who are directly affected know that they have the right to information from their governments, to have access to the risk maps of their municipality, to know where the money destined for the reconstruction is used, and to participate in those decisions

• Thinking about pre-existing risks, strengthening capacities of affected communities and not generate new risks in the recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction processes

• Establishing means for receiving and addressing reports and complaints related to the reconstruction process, because transparency and accountability can only be guaranteed through active citizens

In all the actions that we undertake, Oxfam México seeks to encourage reconstruction to be transparent, with accountability, and ensuring equity criteria based on needs.

* For more information on guidelines on a reconstruction with social, gender and human rights focus, please read #Epicentro’s position