10%

Investing in Gender Equality to achieve sustainable development

UNDP initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean seek to fulfill Agenda 2030 by investing in gender equality

By Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) en América Latina y el Caribe

April 4^th, 2024

Every year, March 8th (8M) commemorates International Women's Day, this year its theme "Investing in Women: Accelerating Progress" reminds us of the key role that financing has to play in achieving gender equality and ending the feminisation of poverty. The multidimensional crises in Latin America and the Caribbean have exacerbated inequalities across the region, whereas in 2002 there were 105 women for every 100 men, the femininity index of poor and extremely poor households highlights that this figure has increased to 116 women for every 100 men in 2021, thereby indicating the over-representation of women in poverty. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) with a focus on women in 2023 showed that 27.4% of women in ten selected LAC countries are in a situation of multidimensional poverty, when considering dimensions such as health and care services, education and family structure, economic activity and autonomy, access to ICTs and housing and services.

This year's 8M theme goes in harmony with the main theme of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) (11-22 March) "accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening gender-responsive institutions and financing" and with the review theme "social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls." In Latin America and the Caribbean there is an unjust social organisation of care that falls mainly on women within households, who on average spend over three times more on household and care labour than men. This situation responds to the lack of comprehensive responses and co-responsibility for care between the state, the private sector, communities, families and within them, between men and women. The COVID-19 pandemic, and its effects that continue to affect the region today, made this problematic situation and the lack of response from institutions visible.

This March 8th, we share UNDP initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean that seek to meet the 2030 Agenda by investing in gender equality. The work featured below highlights how a focus on gender equality can strengthen the effectiveness of government-led public finance and tax reform efforts, while also showing how a progressive tax system aligned with public investment in strategic public policies (care systems, cash transfers, VAW prevention, active labour market policies for women, etc.) has the capacity to address structural barriers for women's empowerment while promoting inclusive development.

ARGENTINA FOCUSES ON RESPONSIBLE MASCULINITIES IN CARE WORK

Investing in Gender Equality to achieve sustainable development

At the end of 2023, the UNDP country office in Argentina alongside the Municipality of Rio Grande, Province of Tierra del Fuego and the Institute of Masculinities and Social Change of Argentina conducted trainings for public agents on masculinities entitled "Care as a social responsibility: promoting the participation of all in care work". The trainings were in-person and in virtual format and addressed both specific topics and differentiated concepts, in order to deepen training and awareness, incorporating the perspective of masculinities in the corresponding areas.

Currently, the country office is continuing this work within the framework of the 1st Municipal Conference on Care as Social Responsibility, organised by the Secretariat for Women, Gender and Diversity of the Municipality of Río Grande. Around 200 workers from different municipal areas and, above all, from different security and armed forces participated in these workshops: Federal Penitentiary Service, Marine Infantry, Naval Prefecture, Airport Security Police, Argentine Federal Police, Argentine National Gendarmerie. More than half of the participants were men, including a group of students from the Penitentiary Service.

www.undp.org/es/argentina

Brazil: Women are the main players in the conservation of the Amazon in Brazil

In Brazil, women play a crucial role in the protection of forests, rivers and territories. However, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in terms of leadership of rural properties, the ratio is 81% men and 19% women (946,000 women farmers), which shows that there is still a long way to go towards gender equality in the environmental sector.

With the Floresta+ Amazonia Project, UNDP Brazil seeks to highlight gender equality in the environmental field. The Project, the result of a partnership between the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) of the Brazilian government and UNDP Brazil, with the support of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), remunerates those who protect and recover the forest and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, with a focus on the strategy of payments for environmental services and support for local initiatives defined by the communities and developed together with their partners. The Modality Innovation Project, which supports innovative solutions for the conservation and recovery of native vegetation and encourages the creation of a market for environmental services. It counted 63% of female participants in its training events and generation of innovative solutions. Of the 12 businesses "pre-accelerated" by the modality, 50% were led by women and among the businesses selected for the acceleration process, 67% were led by women.

According to the project's gender technical analyst, Vitória Faoro, Floresta+ Amazonia incorporated the gender approach in all its stages and in the different levels of intervention with the beneficiary communities. "From planning, monitoring, selection and implementation. Among other actions, we seek to prioritise women's access to benefits, establish participation goals and train technical teams and partners on gender issues, in addition to producing sex-disaggregated data and gender indicators," she said.

www.undp.org/pt/brazil

THE CARE REVOLUTION IN COLOMBIA: A JOURNEY OF EMPOWERMENT

In Colombia, since 2020, the UNDP Colombia country office has supported the District Care System, providing mapping, geo-referencing and legal advice for its formalisation and expansion. From UNDP, this initiative seeks a future where women's economic, physical and political autonomy is the norm, not the exception. The country office has worked to transform the narrative of care, making it a pillar for sustainable development, responding to demographic and technological changes with innovative solutions that embrace the diversity of needs in the country.

Currently, with the aim of having a national care system, the UNDP office is working to strengthen the governance of care as well as to materialise the national care system in their territories and in their local development plans in close collaboration with elected governors, local authorities, community organisations with a special focus on ethnic communities.

UNDP Care Georeferencing Tool (youtube.com)

www.undp.org/es/colombia

COSTA RICA INVESTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY WITH A GENDER FOCUS

In Costa Rica, rural, coastal, Afro-descendant and indigenous women of different age groups and some with disabilities were part of the UNDP Project: Women overcoming poverty through sustainable nature-based income-generating activities, as part of the Poverty and Inequality Financing Window to strengthen their economic autonomy and decision-making over their lives.

In the framework of this project and through the implementation of the programme "Strengthening business models and entrepreneurial skills", designed from a gender perspective, intersectional analysis and territorial approach, a total of 20 organizations were provided with seed capital in the cantons of Buenos Aires, Puntarenas and Limón. The organisations used this seed capital to carry out group training and mentoring on marketing, finance and production chains for 210 women participants, entrepreneurs and community leaders in order to expand their skills and knowledge, as well as their organisational capacity and the possibility of increasing and sustaining their economic autonomy.

pnudcr.exposure.co/hopeful-dreams

Mujeres que abren surco by PNUD Costa Rica - Exposure

www.undp.org/es/costa-rica

CUBA: WOMEN AT THE CENTER OF UNDP INITIATIVES FOR TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT

The UNDP office in Cuba, which was been certified with Gold status in the UNDP Gender Equality Seal for 10 years, has supported the autonomy of more than 200 women in various projects with a gender perspective. During 2023, they were the protagonists of changes produced in favor of their economic empowerment, in processes such as agri-food value chains, local self-sufficiency and adaptation to climate change, digital transformation, economic management and business leadership.

Currently, over 70 women linked to the fruit value chains (mango, guava and papaya), participate today in leadership positions in jobs traditionally destined to be occupied by men, adding value to the cooperatives' productions. In the Martí municipality of Matanzas province, seven new territorial projects have been created by women and have the opportunity to access financing from the territory itself, based on the learning for entrepreneurship of 40 participants in training on business management with gender equality and digitization, socialized in the framework of initiatives accompanied by UNDP.

www.undp.org/es/cuba

ECUADOR SEEKS TO INVEST IN WOMEN TO ACCELERATE PROGRESS

Project INTEGRA is an initiative that seeks to promote the sustainability and the continuity of the socioeconomic integration efforts of the Venezuelan migrant and refugee population. Its objective is to strengthen national responses and the capacities of local governments in Ecuador to contribute to recovery, reactivation and economic integration, and thus generate spaces for peaceful coexistence and improved social cohesion in 11 cities in the country: Ambato, Arenillas, Durán, Guayaquil, Huaquillas, Latacunga, Machala, Milagro, Pasaje, Quito and Santa Rosa.

INTEGRA implements inclusive governance, economic integration and institutionality. Within the framework of this project, the Pro-Integration Campaign and the implementation of public entrepreneurship and employment programs for participants were implemented. During this implementation, 77% of the 2,955 people trained were women, while 81% of the 1,800 strengthening capitals delivered to promote economic reactivation were led by women.

Dayanara Carrillo impulsa su emprendimiento de chocolates gracias a INTEGRA (youtube.com)

Xiomara Bonilla impulsa su negocio de repostería gracias a INTEGRA (youtube.com)

Migrante colombiana triunfa en Ecuador con diseño de mini jardines gracias a INTEGRA (youtube.com)

www.undp.org/es/ecuador

GUATEMALA: ON THE ROAD TO A SOCIAL PROTECTION AND CARE SYSTEM

Women have historically played an invisible role as those responsible for caregiving. The unpaid care work performed by women and girls in the private sphere is daily and with no schedule. In 2023, according to the diagnosis made by the UNDP country office in Guatemala, there are 133,523 completely dependent people in the country, of which 16.9% are under 14 years old, 13.1% between 15 and 19 years old.

The UNDP country office in Guatemala has outlined a work strategy to establish technical and political bases in order to progressively advance towards the construction of a National Care System in Guatemala, articulating various governmental, UNS and cooperating actors. The aim is to provide technical assistance for the financing of a care services pilot project in the medium term. UNDP will also provide a mechanism for geo-referencing care services in Guatemala. The commitment towards a comprehensive care system in Guatemala should establish principles oriented towards co-responsibility, intersectionality of rights, gender and women's human rights approach, as well as the articulation and valorization to advance towards a care society that preserves the sustainability of life to accelerate gender equality and women's empowerment.

Hacia un sistema de protección social y cuidados en Guatemala by PNUD Guatemala - Exposure

www.undp.org/es/guatemala

PANAMA BETS ON THE GENDER EQUALITY SEAL IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

This past February 2, 2024, five Panamanian public institutions were awarded the Seal of Gender Equality in Public Institutions. The National Secretary of Science and Technology (Senacyt) achieved the highest level (gold). It stood out for the creation of the Gender Equality Policy in Science, Technology and Innovation, the institutionalization of a communication strategy with inclusive language, the improvement in the collection of data disaggregated by sex, the visibility of women pioneers in science, and for promoting greater leadership of women in innovation companies and in scientific research projects.

During the past two years, these institutions invested time, technical and economic resources to implement transformative actions to close gender gaps, such as: the creation of gender units or offices, the strengthening of legal frameworks for the development of policies and the design of strategies, protocols or national plans for gender equality.

Sello de Igualdad de Género en el sector Público (youtube.com)

www.undp.org/es/panama

PARAGUAY SUPPORTS SOCIAL AND LABOR PROTECTION POLICIES TO PROMOTE EQUALITY

In Paraguay, a data analysis was conducted to promote the development of public policies for social protection and the improvement of women's conditions. The report "Social protection and labor policies: evidence and challenges for Paraguay" published in 2023, sought to identify concrete funding opportunities that would contribute to reducing gender gaps, offering better opportunities for women.

This analysis found that women in the country have evolved positively in the private sector, widening the gap with men with an important advantage for them. Currently, almost half of the women in private employment (46.7% excluding domestic work) work in formal employment. However, challenges remain, it is recommended that a mechanism for access to the contributory system be created for women who are outside the labor force. Women's access to contributory social security can strengthen their economic autonomy in old age and contribute to the financial sustainability of the model, which is directly related to a quality labor trajectory.

www.undp.org/es/paraguay

PERU APPLIES GEO-REFERENCING CARE TOOL TO CLOSE THE CARE GAP

In Peru, women spend, on average, 9 hours and 15 minutes more than men in paid and unpaid activities each week. In addition, only 63% of women participate in the labor market, compared to 80.3% of men. These figures reflect profound gender inequalities, as women devote more time to unpaid and care work, while men have greater access to and devote more time to paid work. In this context, and in order to generate evidence to narrow these gaps, the UNDP Peru office implemented the care georeferencing tool, which identifies the supply, demand and gaps in care services in Metropolitan Lima and Callao.

Through this tool, an interactive map was generated that locates public, private and community services for children under 5 years of age, people with disabilities and elderly people in a situation of dependency. For this purpose, data from national censuses and surveys, OpenStreetMap, Google API, as well as information collected from the 50 local governments involved were integrated. This initiative seeks to position care as a right, a necessity and a job, to make visible the need to improve and implement quality care services, and to promote co-responsibility for care, thus generating greater opportunities for women's participation in the workplace.

www.undp.org/es/peru

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC USES GEO-REFERENCING CARE TOOL TO CLOSE THE CARE GAP

In order to promote comprehensive solutions to care needs and to promote the economic autonomy of women and the right to care for children, people in situations of dependency or disability and older adults in the Dominican Republic, the United Nations System (UNS) together with the government created the Joint Program "Care Communities DR". The program is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), financed through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Fund.

In order to contribute to the construction of the National Care Policy, a geo-referenced mapping of care services located in the pilot's priority areas was developed and implemented, which made it possible to identify potential candidates for social benefits and to recognize the supply of private and community care in the prioritized territories. Currently, within the framework of this initiative, a comprehensive measurement tool is being developed to ensure effective management, monitoring and evaluation of the policy. This tool will continue to provide a mechanism for assessing the main strengths and weaknesses of care services for the elderly.

www.undp.org/es/dominican-republic

URUGUAY: TOWARDS THE NATIONAL CARE FORUM

In Uruguay, challenges such as the overload of women's unpaid work, and the subsequent difficulty for women to enter the labor market, continue to place a robust care system as a key element to go through this demographic stage more efficiently, equitably and from a rights-based perspective. In April 2024, the United Nations System (UNDP, UN Women, UNFPA, ILO/Cintefor), with the support of the Pro-Care Network, will promote the National Care Forum with the aim of reflecting on key aspects for the consolidation of care as one of the pillars of the welfare matrix in Uruguay. This process, which was launched in July 2023, seeks to collaborate with the revitalization of a broad coalition of support for the National Integrated Care System (SNIC), prone to its expansion, deepening and consolidation, in order to generate conditions for it to become a State policy.

In April, the Forum will seek to produce and/or update evidence to nurture a quality debate on the critical issues of the system, in relevant dimensions such as: financing, service models, eligibility criteria, training of caregivers, territorialization and governance model, effective incorporation of the gender perspective, among others. In turn, this space will seek to promote the inclusion of the SNIC in relevant areas of government programs by Uruguay's political parties.

www.undp.org/es/uruguay

The complex and multidimensional crises that have affected Latin America and the Caribbean have generated new types of uncertainty and have exacerbated gender inequalities in the countries of the region, affecting to a greater extent those women who experience different types of discrimination linked to their socioeconomic status, race-ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or migratory status, among others. Achieving gender equality and the well-being of women in all areas is key if we are to generate prosperous economies and achieve a healthy planet. Currently, Latin America continues to be the region with the highest levels of inequality in the world and the least redistributive effect of its fiscal policy. For UNDP, ensuring that finance and fiscal policy contribute to gender equality in Latin America and the Caribbean is key to meeting the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, which is reflected in the UNDP Gender Equality Strategy and in the national and local work of the country offices throughout the region.

Button Label

Story Told With

Start publishing stories like this