Action for equality, development and peace in Latin America and the Caribbean
The present document, prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), is based on 25 reports prepared by countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, which in turn are based on comprehensive national 30-year reviews of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (Beijing+30), adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, in synergy with the implementation of the Regional Gender Agenda deriving from the commitments made at the meetings of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This report addresses regional progress and challenges in gender equality. One area in which progress has been made is in the production of official statistics that incorporate a gender perspective, which is a crucial step in breaking the silence around gender inequality. The Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean, for example, is a very important tool for regional monitoring of strategic indicators and its data were used in the preparation of this report. Considerable strides have also been made in regulatory frameworks for gender equality, the buildup of gender institutions within the different branches of government and the
strengthening of information systems. The active role of civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean, including women’s and feminist organizations, has been a key factor in strengthening democracy and the protection of human rights in the region.
To date, however, no country has achieved substantive equality. More ambitious action is therefore crucial to bring about the vital transformation towards gender equality and the care society. The overarching objective in this regard should be to collectively accelerate the effective implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Regional Gender Agenda, strengthening institutional frameworks to mainstream the gender perspective at all levels and in all branches of government. Measures must include an increase in the financial, technical and human resources allocated, the adoption of gender budgeting, and monitoring and accountability mechanisms, with citizen participation. It is equally necessary to create a safe, enabling environment for the safeguarding of human rights and the prevention and elimination of gender-based discrimination and violence against women and girls.