Against this backdrop, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean presented What kind of State? What kind of equality? at the eleventh session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, held from 13 to 16 July 2010 in Brasilia. The question as to the role of the State is being asked at a time when a path towards gender equality is in sight. However, at the same time, Governments in the region have yet to address the many obstacles to equality in order to continue moving towards that path and, as a result of the recent crisis, the capacity of States to overcome gender equality in all its forms is under debate.1