Key focus areas
Governance and participation in public life
ACRO’s Governance and Political Participation Section works to strengthen parity democracies in Latin American and Caribbean countries, by enhancing an enabling institutional and public environment for the achievement of substantive equality in all dimensions of life. This work, in coordination with UN Women offices in the field, includes advocacy and technical assistance to Member States in establishing and effectively implementing normative and policy frameworks to ensure equal conditions to participate in political processes and institutions, including mechanisms towards gender parity in decision-making positions at all State’s branches and levels; and comprehensive measures to prevent, monitor, punish and eradicate violence against women in politics, as to guarantee an inclusive management and audit of political financing. Additionally, UN Women ACRO works on a comprehensive capacity-building strategy addressed to women in politics, decision-makers at all levels, and representatives of electoral bodies and CSOs from LAC countries, aiming at promoting gender-responsive political managements and the full exercise of women’s leadership and political rights.
Women's economic empowerment
UN Women's Economic Empowerment area in Latin America and the Caribbean aims to promote gender equality and women's economic empowerment in the region. We partner with governments, United Nations agencies, Civil Society Organizations, private sector and other institutions to promote policies and programs that address the barriers women face in the economic sphere in three key areas: the design and implementation of integrated care systems, the promotion of gender responsive macroeconomic policies and budgets and the support to income generation and sustainable livelihoods, through financial and digital inclusion and opportunities in the framework of the green and circular economy.
Ending violence against women
The Ending Violence Against Women Section of the UN Women’s Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean is working in a context where 14 of the 25 countries with the highest femicide rates in the world are located. We partner with governments, United Nations agencies, Civil Society Organizations, and other institutions to find ways to prevent violence against women and girls, focusing on strengthening legal frameworks, building respectful relationships, changing harmful masculinities among men and boys, and improving access to justice to victims and survivors.
Women, peace and security
The Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action regional area provides technical assistance to UN Women offices and governments in Latin America and the Caribbean in the implementation of strategies that contribute to increasing women’s significant participation in national and local initiatives that contribute to sustaining peace, such as political dialogue, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and transformation, humanitarian action and human mobility, climate resilience, and disaster risk reduction.
Yasmín Belén Quiroga es abogada feminista y especialista en género y datos. Trabaja como secretaria del Juzgado Penal Contravencional y de Faltas 10 de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Es una de las autoras de “Datos con perspectiva de género y justicia abierta”, una investigación realizada en el marco de la Iniciativa Spotlight sobre la experiencia del Juzgado 10, que pone a disposición todas las resoluciones y sentencias del tribunal a través de medios digitales. También es cofundadora de DataGénero, el primer observatorio de datos con perspectiva de género de América Latina. Leer más >
María Nelsy Contreras Garzón es trabajadora del cuidado y hace poco más de un año se graduó de la secundaria. Sus estudios fueron postergados debido a las labores de cuidado que desde siempre priorizó en su familia. Ella es cuidadora de su madre de 75 años y de su hijo de 16 años, con quienes vive en el barrio Jerusalén Bellavista, en la localidad de Ciudad Bolívar, en Bogotá, Colombia. Leer más >
En Ecuador, para responder a la crisis migratoria y de movilidad humana, se han implementado mecanismos y acciones de acogida, protección y asistencia humanitaria, dirigidas especialmente a mujeres y niñas que transitan en la frontera y que corren riesgos específicos, como ser víctimas de violencia de género, violencia sexual, prostitución forzada, trata de personas o explotación sexual.
Desde 2019, a través del proyecto Caminando, ONU Mujeres busca empoderar a las mujeres migrantes, refugiadas y de las comunidades de acogida para el pleno ejercicio de su derecho a vivir una vida libre de violencia. Leer más >
Desde mediados de 2015 se produjeron una serie de acontecimientos que sacudieron a la sociedad guatemalteca. De ese escenario surgieron, de manera genuina y espontánea, movimientos sociales de protesta contra la corrupción y ha crecido la demanda social de reformas estructurales pendientes desde la firma de los acuerdos, para establecer marcos legales no solo para la lucha contra la corrupción sino para un Estado de Derecho respetuoso de la democracia, la paz y garante de los derechos humanos. A pesar de los avances para generar reformas, quedan muchos desafíos en el fortalecimiento del acceso a la justicia para las mujeres, adolescentes, jóvenes, niñez y pueblos indígenas. Leer más >
En 2009, 2013 y 2017 las dinámicas políticas en Honduras fueron conflictivas durante los procesos electorales. Esta conflictividad se expresó a través de movilizaciones sociales y de organizaciones políticas que en muchos casos se volvieron violentas.
Organizaciones internacionales señalaron preocupación por el uso de fuerza, amenazas, violencia y criminalización que impactó en violaciones a los derechos humanos de la población por parte de actores gubernamentales. Leer más >
Building a Strong Foundation for Trinidad and Tobago Young People to Escape from Gender-based Violence
The UN Women Foundations youth gender-based violence prevention programme is one of the activities being implemented with the support of the European Union-United Nations Spotlight Initiative to end violence against women and girls.
“The Foundations Programme was an eye-opening experience to me. The facilitators spoke on a number of topics surrounding gender and sexual gender-based violence. I felt empowered by the information that was given. It caused me to look at my life, that of my family, the police youth clubs and community at large and I observed the many gender stereotypes slowly being transformed. The information that I was given, I am eager to share to help empower others as I have done in my own life, as I am now an entrepreneur in the agricultural sector, growing and selling plants.”
– Sherine Supersad, 18 years.
Key achievements
In 2022, UN Women achieved the following results across the Americas and the Caribbean:
in Latin America and the Caribbean are promoting local/national care systems with the support of UN Women
women, girls, men, and boys, being 9,371 women and girls, were directly benefited by the work of the EVAW Section of the Americas and Caribbean Regional Office in 2022
were impacted by UN Women’s work on ending violence against women and girls, having their capacities and their work strengthened
from Latin America and the Caribbean participated during 2022 in the initiatives promoted by UN Women
adopted National Action Plans for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 (Argentina and Uruguay) and 7 countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador) are designing or updating their Plans with UN Women´s support
implemented projects to strengthen leadership and meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and sustaining peace efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Venezuela
and policy papers on Economic Empowerment have been produced and disseminated from a gender equality perspective in gender responsive economic policies plans and budgets (8), financial inclusion (1), public procurement (1), social protection (1), and care economy (6)
female decision-makers and officers at national and local levels in Latin America with strengthened capacities to participate in public life and/or exercise leadership. Women in decision-making positions and female aspirants and candidates who completed and received certification in regional training proposals implemented by UN Women's Regional Office (2019-2022)
