Legislative reforms proposed for higher education and gender rights in Mexico and Ecuador

Legislative bodies in Mexico and Ecuador are reviewing various reforms aimed at education and social rights.

In Zacatecas, Mexico, the Permanent Commission of the State Congress received several initiatives. These include proposals to amend the State Constitution to incorporate principles of substantive equality, gender perspective, and the right of women to live free of violence. Additionally, a new Higher Education Law has been proposed by the state executive to establish frameworks for coordination, evaluation, and financing between the state and municipalities. The PT parliamentary group also proposed changes to the Electoral Law to establish legal consequences for political violence against women.

In Ecuador, the National Assembly's Education Commission analyzed reforms to the Organic Law of Higher Education (LOES). One proposal seeks to improve professional practice in social sciences through the creation of a professional enablement exam to evaluate academic, technical, and ethical competencies. Another proposal aims to optimize academic permanence and university seat usage by establishing reasonable limits on how long students can hold a university spot, intended to expand access for thousands of prospective students.