Bogotá is one of 50 Champion Cities selected today as finalists in the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge, a global innovation competition that identifies and accelerates the most ambitious ideas developed by cities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These 50 urban innovations rose to the top of a competitive pool of more than 630 applications from 99 countries, in the first-ever Global Mayors Challenge.
As a Mayors Challenge finalist, Bogotá now advances to the four-month Champion Phase of the competition. From June through October, the 50 finalist cities will refine their ideas with technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies and its network of leading innovation experts. Fifteen of the 50 cities will ultimately win the grand prize, with each receiving $1 million and robust multi-year technical assistance to implement and scale their ideas. Grand Prize Winners will be announced in early 2022.
Bogota was recognized for its innovative implementation of the first City Care System in Latin America, an initiative that seeks to recognize, redistribute and reduce unpaid domestic and care work, and those who perform it, 90% of whom are women. The system delivers services for those requiring care and their unpaid female caregivers, which: 1) frees up time for women to pursue self-development and well-being, 2) trains male family members in care work; and 3) addresses gender norms that perpetuate the inequality.
Furthermore, with the creation of “Care Blocks” Bogotá integrated urban planning, tactical urbanism and a gender approach for the delivery of care services. To date there are five Care Blocks, located in the localities of Usme, Ciudad Bolívar, San Cristóbal, Bosa and Los Mártires. Likewise, in order to reach those who provide unpaid care in remote areas of the city, the system considered Mobile Care Units, which reach rural women.
Since October 2020, the Care System has provided more than 8,000 care services and has implemented five Care Blocks and two Mobile Care Units.
“These 50 finalists are showing the world that in the face of the pandemic’s enormous challenges, cities are rising to meet them with bold, innovative, and ambitious ideas,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City. “By helping these cities test their ideas over the coming months, we will have a chance to identify cutting-edge policies and programs that can allow cities to rebuild in ways that make them stronger and healthier, and more equal and more just.”
In view of this important recognition, Bogotá’s Mayor Claudia López Hernández, highlighted the importance of the 'Care Blocks' and the District Care System, “In an ideal world, everyone would be able to afford care work. Women would be able to choose whether they want to have a paid job or they would rather stay at home. Women would have a choice, but not at the expense of their future. Bogotá’s Care System allows us to get closer to what that ideal should be; where care work is evenly distributed among the members of the household, regardless of gender, and women have the time and the possibility to rest, to study and to work,” said the mayor of Bogota.
The 50 Champion Cities submitted ideas addressing four of the most significant challenges borne of the pandemic: Economic Recovery & Inclusive Growth; Health & Wellbeing; Climate & Environment; and Good Governance & Equality. A prestigious selection committee co-chaired by Bloomberg Philanthropies board member Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO & President, Ariel Investments, and David Miliband, President & CEO, International Rescue Committee, assessed the applications to determine the Champion City finalists.
“This is always an especially exciting phase of the Mayors Challenge, helping mayors push their innovations to even greater heights," said James Anderson, head of Government Innovation at Bloomberg Philanthropies. "While 15 cities will ultimately take-home grand prizes, all 50 cities receive world class coaching and support to improve their ideas and their potential to improve lives."
The 2021 Global Mayors Challenge builds on the success of four previous Bloomberg-sponsored Challenges in the U.S. (2013 and 2018), Europe (2014), and Latin America and the Caribbean (2016).
For more information, visit mayorschallenge.bloomberg.org and @BloombergCities on Twitter and Instagram.
For more information, visit:
· Bogota.gov.co, @Bogota on Twitter and @AlcaldiaBogota on Facebook.
· Mayorschallenge.bloomberg.org and @BloombergCities on Twitter and Instagram.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health.
