Efforts to Combat Time Poverty in Mexico
Mexican legislators are taking significant steps towards addressing the systemic issue of time poverty in the country—a phenomenon that has resulted in a lack of time for rest, self-care, and social interaction. This problem predominantly affects women and has been exacerbated by the rise of digital systems and electronic devices that enable professional responsibilities to be fulfilled from virtually anywhere.
In the Chamber of Deputies, a series of initiatives are currently being promoted, including the introduction of the General Law for the Prevention and Eradication of Time Poverty (LGPEPT). Additionally, amendments to four existing laws are being proposed to foster a more equitable distribution of unpaid care work and to ensure digital disconnection rights.
These legislative proposals were presented recently in the Permanent Commission by José Braña Mojica, a deputy representing the Green Party of Mexico (PVEM). Braña argues that current public policies focused on well-being tend to emphasise aspects such as income, nutrition, and access to services while neglecting the quantity and quality of time available for personal development, a disparity that is particularly pronounced among women.
The Time Burden on Women
According to Braña, “No existing legal framework in Mexico articulates a state policy to prevent, measure, and eradicate time poverty.” The National Survey on Time Use conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) reveals that Mexican women spend an average of 50.4 hours per week on domestic and unpaid care work, compared to just 16.4 hours for men. When combined with paid work, this starkly reduces the time available for rest or personal activities.
As outlined in the proposal, “Women endure a combined workday that utterly obliterates their availability for personal time, leaving them in a state of chronic and structural time poverty.” The proposal also takes into account commuting times in major urban areas, which can exceed 2,128 hours annually per worker, as reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The lack of time for leisure is linked to various mental health issues, including sleep disorders, anxiety, chronic fatigue, and other psycho-emotional problems, which can adversely affect workplace performance. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) indicate that the economic costs associated with these conditions could represent between 3% and 4% of annual GDP, resulting from factors such as absenteeism, medical leave, employee turnover, and decreased productivity.
Proposed Legislative Changes
In light of this context, the legislative initiative proposes the establishment of the LGPEPT alongside reforms to the Federal Labour Law, the General Law on Social Development, the General Law on Mobility and Road Safety, and the General Law for Substantive Equality between Women and Men.
Overall, the legislative plan aims to create a National Time Poverty Index (INPT), which would serve as an official indicator developed and published by INEGI every two years to identify the proportion of the population lacking adequate time for essential activities such as rest, personal care, recreation, and social interaction.
Furthermore, it seeks to recognise new rights related to chronobiological well-being, which encompasses the physical, mental, and emotional balance achieved by respecting biological and circadian cycles, including sufficient periods for sleep, rest, and breaks.
Ensuring Digital Disconnection Rights
The proposal also includes measures to guarantee digital disconnection. Workers would have the right to refrain from responding to calls, messages, emails, or work instructions outside of their working hours, during rest days, or on holidays. Additionally, companies would be required to implement internal policies regarding digital disconnection and chronobiological well-being in collaboration with unions or employee representatives. Persistent interference with rest time could lead to extraordinary inspections and administrative penalties.
Regarding unpaid care work, the initiative advocates for the establishment of a national and universal network of public services, which would encompass childcare centres, day care facilities for the elderly, and support centres for individuals with disabilities. It incorporates a gender equality perspective and promotes the principle of shared responsibility in caregiving, aiming for a more balanced distribution of domestic and caregiving responsibilities among women, men, families, and the state.
Addressing Mobility and Infrastructure
The initiative also addresses issues of mobility by proposing that authorities design public transport, road infrastructure, and urban connectivity systems with the goal of reducing commuting times.
Implementation of the proposed law would involve multiple levels of government. Federal participation would include various departments, such as the Secretariats of Welfare, Labour and Social Welfare, Health, and Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development, along with INEGI. State and municipal governments would need to adapt their legislation and develop infrastructure and programmes aimed at reducing commuting times and caregiving burdens.
While the proposals are still subject to evaluation by various legislative bodies, they underscore the pressing need to address the psycho-emotional health of the population, which is particularly seen as a factor contributing to inequality. The legislative proposal concludes that “in Mexico, time poverty is not merely an individual scheduling issue but a structural condition of inequality.”