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Country Indexes
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LAC_D_1.1
Latin America and the Caribbean democratic institutions are strengthened, and States advance towards gender parity in political participation at all decision-making levels
In the LAC region, seven countries have achieved or are nearing gender parity at the parliamentary level, with over 40% of women in elected national positions. Although there was no significant increase in women's participation at the parliamentary level compared to 2023, maintaining the regional average around 35.8% compared to 26,7% globally, the number of female heads of state or government rose to seven following Mexico's general elections, which resulted in the country's first elected female president. Significant progress has been made in establishing parity as a key pillar for strengthening democracies and advancing gender equality agendas, including in regional parliamentary and intergovernmental forums, as in key United Nations processes, such as the drafting CEDAW's new general recommendation No. 40 on equal and inclusive representation in decision-making systems. Notably, there is a growing understanding among both men and women of the importance of parity representation in decision-making positions, as highlighted by a recent survey in Uruguay showing wide citizen support for a parity law and more women in decision-making positions. These positive changes are thanks in part to a stronger normative framework promoting women’s full and effective political participation, with 9 countries counting with legal measures towards parity, 9 countries with quota laws and 14 countries with laws and institutional mechanisms addressing violence against women in politics. UN Women has played a pivotal role in ensuring policymakers have access to cutting-edge knowledge and tools to adopt and implement measures to promote women’s participation in political processes and institutions, including through gender-responsive political financing, as to combat violence against women in politics. Thanks to UN Women’s partnership with the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO), UNDP, International IDEA, CLADEM and DIAKONIA, more women count with capacities to defend their political and electoral rights, run for office and promote gender equality agendas, having benefitted 1096 women and diversities at regional level during 2024, including 166 decision-makers, 661 aspirants and 51 candidates to an elective position.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LAC_D_1.2
More women lead and benefit from national and local initiatives in political dialogue, peacebuilding, conflict prevention, human mobility, humanitarian action and climate resilience
In 2024, significant progress was achieved in advancing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region through the adoption and development of National Action Plans (NAPs). Notably, Ecuador and Colombia successfully launched their respective NAPs in December 2024. These plans were tailored to address the unique national contexts, integrating gender-sensitive approaches and inclusive monitoring indicators to ensure effective implementation and accountability. Additionally, the WPSHA team played a crucial role in facilitating the development of Trinidad and Tobago’s first WPS NAP. While its publication is scheduled for March 2025, ongoing technical assistance has ensured the inclusion of robust monitoring frameworks. Regional efforts also included the conceptualization of a Caribbean Regional Action Plan on WPS, supported by a £50,000 initiative aimed at addressing gender-based violence, organized crime, and climate-related challenges. Thanks to the work of UN Women with financing from the Government of Japan through its program “Leadership, empowerment, access and protection of women in the human mobility crisis in Central America” (LEAP/Trayectos) women, girls and LGBTIQ+ people affected by the human mobility crisis have greater leadership, participation on equal terms, and benefit from gender-sensitive protection services and social cohesion initiatives in host communities on the northern and southern borders of Costa Rica. Humanitarian actors have improved their capacity to plan and deliver protection services, including attention to gender-based violence, that respond to the needs of women on the move in Costa Rica. In 2024, UN Women provided training to 23 humanitarian actors from organizations such as IOM, UNHCR, HIAS and Casa Esperanza, 10 women from the Humanitarian Network of the Corredores canton in Paso Canoas, as well as 13 officials from the National Institute for Women (INAMU) of the Brunca Region that provides care services to the population in transit, which provides new tools to the people participating in the care and response to revealed cases of JBV and the incorporation of the gender perspective in the humanitarian response. A total of 84 members of organizations, leaders, activists and feminists from Costa Rica improved their capacities to incorporate the gender perspective in humanitarian action, through a course developed by UN Women and FLACSO called “Gender equality and participation of women in humanitarian action”. These results have been thanks to the role that UN Women has played in advocacy spaces such as protection tables and interagency spaces where it has positioned a gender agenda in the humanitarian and institutional sector. Through a partnership agreement with HIAS Costa Rica, UN Women has been able to implement the provision of psychosocial and GBV protection services to 1,152 women, girls and LGBTIQ+ people who have entered through the southern and northern borders of Costa Rica through mobile brigades. Through this joint agreement, leaders of host communities who are part of community organizations have increased their capacities through 3 social cohesion initiatives developed in host communities at each of the borders. In addition, 188 women and girls have received hygiene and protection kits that are sensitive and adapted for human mobility based on the needs reported by them and humanitarian actors in Costa Rica. Coalición Nacional contra la Trata de Personas y el Tráfico Ilícito de Migrantes (CONATT) has boosted its work towards the prevention and attention of human trafficking and smuggling of migrants from a gender-based approach through the collection, exchange and analysis of data on trafficking in persons and smuggling with new protocols implemented and the enhancement of capacities for public officials, thanks to actions implemented under the Migration MMPTF Joint Fund on “Strengthening Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Agencies' Capacity to Coordinate and Exchange Information to Investigate and Prosecute Human Trafficking and the Smuggling of Migrants”, implemented by IOM, UN Women and UNODC. Additionally, the Costa Rican judiciary has improved access to justice for victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants through specialised capacity-building programmes, the assessment of services and attention, the preparation of tailor-made consultation materials and manuals for internal coordination, and the improvement of the actual temporary Sub-Commission for Combating Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants, which was inactive before the implementation of this programme and became active with the work plan developed through this intervention. Progress has also been made towards the establishment of a permanent Commission to Combat Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants. In addition, the protocols and mechanisms for data and information exchange have been improved through reforms to ensure better coordination between institutions, as well as training on the reforms and the application of a gender and human rights approach to procedures. Regional health services are more respectful of the needs and identities of migrants from a human rights and gender-based approach through capacity strengthening for health care personnel in communities with the highest human mobility rates. Financial service providers are making progress on the financial inclusion of vulnerable migrants through training and awareness of migrant women’s needs promoted by UN Women.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LAC_D_1.3
Ending Violence Against Women has advanced and a society free of gender stereotypes and discriminatory social norms is promoted with the engagement of women, girls, LGBTQ+ people, men and boys
Regional standards and frameworks for the elimination of violence against women have been adopted and strengthened in the region, which will impact on reaching a society free of violence, gender stereotypes and discriminatory social norms, engaging all different actors from society, including government s , civil society, academia, men and boys, and private sector.
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LAC_D_2.1
National care systems enable Latin America and the Caribbean women's economic autonomy.
UN Women has advanced the i mplementation of a regional agenda for the promotion of Integrated care systems . In this regard, in 2024 UN Women ACRO is providing technical assistant and policy support to 11 countries in LAC region ((Brasil(1), Chile(2), Colombia(3), Dominican Republic(4), Ecuador(5), El Salvador(6), Guatemala(7), Honduras(8), Mexico(9), Panama(10), Peru(11),) to advance in policy and normative frameworks for integrated care systems. As a result, in 2024, laws for the creation of the National Care System were approved in two countries: Panama, with Law 1038 approved in March 2024, and Brazil, with Law 15,069 approved in December 2024. These countries became the fifth and sixth in the region—alongside Uruguay, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Ecuador—to enact specific legislation. In previous years, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru had already been discussing legislative proposals, supported by UN Women. In 2024, Chile joined these efforts, making significant progress in drafting a bill (currently in its initial constitutional phase), as well as the Dominican Republic, where several legislative proposals were introduced in the Senate this year and are scheduled for discussion in 2025. Additional national and local strategies, policies and/or action plans for the promotion of care have been developed and adopted in the region with UN Women’s RO support in (Brazil: national level(1) and Belén do Pará(2); Chile: national level(3); Colombia: national level(4), Bogotá(5), Villavicencio(6), Cumbal(7), government of Antioquia(8), Medellin(9); Ecuador: national level(10), and Quito(11); El Salvador: national level(12); Guatemala: national level(13); Honduras: national level(14) and Trifinio region(15); Mexico: national level(16), Monterrey(17); Panama: national level(18), Juan Diaz(19); Peru: national level(20), Villa El Salvador(21), Comas(22) y Tambopata(23); Dominican Republic: national level(24), Azua(25) and Santo Domingo Este(26). Overall and up to December 2024, this results in a total amount of 26 national and local strategies, policies and/or action plans for the promotion of care have been developed and adopted in the region within 11 countries with the support of UN Women in 2024. In terms of promoting the financing of care policies and systems , during 2024 UN Women ACRO supported the calculation of cost and returns of investment in care in 3 countries (Chile, El Salvador and Belén do Pará in Brazil) using the modeling and tool to design financing strategies of comprehensive care systems developed and launched in 2022. This adds to the existing costing exercises supported by UN Women in Argentina, México, Panama, Peru and Paraguay. As part of these efforts to promote care financing, the learning community on "Realities and Challenges of Financing Care Policies and Systems, " driven by UN Women in collaboration with Oxfam LAC, the Global Care Alliance, the Feminist Economics Table of Colombia, and the Latin American Network for Economic and Social Justice (LATINDADD), reached over 130 participants from Latin America, Europe, and Africa. These participants, representing sectors such as government, social organizations, academia, and civil society, reflected on the centrality of care in public policies, highlighting the need for fair and progressive financing strategies. As part of its coordination role within the United Nations system UN Women partnered with UNDP-ILO-ECLAC-UN Women Interagency Initiative on Gender, Care and Social Protection promoted the 5th edition of the virtual course towards integrated care systems: training for action in public policy in the second semester of 2024 through a 7-week length course. As a result, in 2024 more than 442 policy makers from national governments, local governments, civil society and women organizations, trade unions and other reported to having increased their capacity to advancing the agenda and implementing integrated care systems. At regional level, in 2024 UN Women ACRO continues the implementation of the project “Transforming Economies. Towards the Recognition, Reduction and Redistribution of Unpaid Domestic and Care Work in Latin America and the Caribbean” with the support of AECID. As part of the results achieved, the Latin America and Caribbean region has strengthened its knowledge base in promoting public care policies , establishing a robust collection of best practices, diagnostic methodologies, regulations, and public policy instruments to drive care policies and systems at the local level. A total of 11 countries and more than 35 local public care policy experiences have been identified and documented. The project has facilitated the exchange and dissemination of 27 local care policy and system experiences with over 230 participants, including representatives from governments, civil society, academia, the private sector, international organizations, and cooperation agencies from 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. This was accomplished through the international seminar “Between the Global and the Local: Experiences in the Development and Territorialization of Care Policies and Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.” As a fundamental strategy of the project, progress has been made in developing a Territorial Care Management Model , strengthened and discussed through the contributions and perspectives of specialists from national and local governments, academia, civil society, international organizations, and cooperation agencies. This process has resulted in two key documents: Local Care Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean and Contributions to the Territorial Management of Comprehensive Care Systems . These documents represent a significant step forward in formulating strategies for the management and development of care systems at the local level. This effort responds to the urgent need to structure comprehensive care policies and systems that address the specific territorial inequalities and challenges of our region . Both documents will serve as the foundation for designing the guidelines that ECLAC and UN Women will present at the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, to be held in Mexico in 2025, will address the theme "Transformations in the Political, Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Spheres to Promote the Care Society and Gender Equality." Also at the regional level, during 2024 UN Women continued to work to consolidate Care as a political priority and commitment in the intergovernmental sphere . In this regard, f ollowing up on the Buenos Aires Commitment adopted in 2022, UN Women together with ECLAC achieved to position Care as the main issue of discussion for the next Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean to take place in Mexico City from August 12 to 15, 2025. UN Women has also positioned care in the bi-regional European, Latin America, and the Caribbean (EU-LAC) agenda. In collaboration with ECLAC and the EU-LAC Foundation, it champions the adoption of a Bi-regional Pact for Care to enhance cooperation in public care policies and develop comprehensive care systems across both regions. The pact was promoted in the Joint exchange of views on “The Bi-regional Pact for Care between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean” in the European Parliament held on 24 January and at a side event within the framework of the 68 CSW, in the High-level Dialogue: ‘Foundations for a Bi-Regional Pact of Care between Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union’ on 14 March. UN Women also played a leading role in the consultative process on the right to care before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR ), submitting an advisory opinion,
outcome XM-DAC-41146-LAC_D_2.2
Public and private financing advance gender equality through gender responsive budgets, policies, strategies and instruments
Gender-responsive budgets (GRB) play a crucial role in ensuring that women’s specific needs and priorities, especially those facing multiple forms of discrimination, are considered and addressed in funding and investment decisions and service delivery. Aligned to the UN Women Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the UN Women Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean prioritized the promotion of more effective interventions to achieve public financing to advance gender equality through gender-responsive budgets, policies, strategies, and instruments. These actions are related to Latin America and the Caribbean’s Strategic Note (2023-2025), which proposes three outcomes that configure a results framework with 9 effects, including public and private funding to promote gender equality with gender-responsive budgets, policies, strategies, and instruments. UN Women supports member states to design and implement gender-responsive national and local plans and budgets by (i) increasing awareness, capacities, and political will to integrate gender equality in financing; (ii) providing assistance to design sector strategies, plans, monitoring frameworks, and budgets; (iii) generating and disseminating knowledge; and, (iv) establishing and managing broad-based partnerships across the UN system, with development partners, international organizations, academia, and civil society organizations to promote gender-responsive planning and budgeting. In terms of policy support, UN Women and ECLAC provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Finance and DIPRES in Chile to develop theoretical frameworks for gender mainstreaming in the budget cycle,? a guide for applying the gender perspective in the budget, and a training cycle that counted on the participation of 386 public officials of all Chilean ministries and National Congress, the Judiciary, and the Comptroller General of the Republic over the course of 3 workshops. The objective of this technical assistance was to provide guidelines on the types of approaches used in budgeting processes with a gender perspective at the international level, with a view to adopting a conceptual framework to guide the incorporation of this perspective in the Chilean budget cycle. The technical assistance plan included a technical note that analyzes the theoretical frameworks for gender mainstreaming in the budget cycle, experiences in defining approaches in the Latin American and Caribbean region and internationally, and guiding questions for defining the GRB application guide. Also, it incorporates a review of the normative framework and recent experiences of Ministry of Finance and DIPRES to incorporate the gender perspective in the budget and in particular in the definition of approaches. As a result, a guide will be developed for the application of the gender perspective in the budget, which includes the identification of the different stages of the budget cycle, the process and timetable for its application and suggestions for updating for future budget periods. Finally, a capacity building will be built for government entities on the guide for the application of the gender perspective in the budget. In terms of capacity building , a partnership with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and UN Women was carried out to implement the second edition of GRB workshop to deepen the gender-sensitive public financial management approach through conceptual and practical tools in order to foster peer learning and support innovations in this field. As a result, 124 officials working in budget cycles in LAC ministries of finance received UN-Women and IMF training to strengthen the approach to GRB. The virtual workshop was held for four days (April 8-11 th ), divided into conceptual sessions, case studies with examples from countries in the region presented by international experts and country officials, and training in tools for implementation. Target audience was middle and senior officials from finance ministries working on GRB, budget processes, public finance regulations, monitoring and evaluation of performance budgeting and gender equality ministries associated with GRB. The workshop is being coordinated with the participation of CARTAC, the Inter-American Development Bank, OECD and international experts. The main objectives include support to ministries of finance in the introduction or strengthening GRB. The workshop will focus on the use of tools such as impact assessments to improve policy design, budget markers for identification and tracking, budget annex reports to improve transparency, and instructions in budget circulars. The workshop addressed GRB and climate change, gender spending reviews, recent studies of legal frameworks, among the areas of recent development.The workshop also presented recent work in these areas by the IMF and other organizations and how they apply or can be applied in the countries of the region. provided participants with analytical tools and create a space for exchange of experiences to facilitate the introduction of gender-sensitive public finance. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through indicator 5.c.1 measures the efforts made by governments to monitor and identify budget allocations for gender equality.In 2018 and 2021, UN Women, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as custodians of information for indicator 5.c.1, invited world governments to report data in terms of their progress. In the region, UN Women supported countries to report on systems to track public allocations to gender equality. Planned actions in 2024 included support in the new round of data collection on systems to track gender budget allocations. All country data is self-reported via a questionnaire sent directly to the Government by the custodians, therefore, training sessions with country offices will be held so they can support governments. UN Women also produced and currently administrates the specialized digital platform www.presupuestoygenero.net, an accessible virtual space for tools, bibliography, and good practices on Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) in LAC. It also produced a specialized newsletter which contains information on gender-responsive budgeting, exchange of experiences, and best practices. During 2024 a specialized LinkedIn newsletter on gender-responsive budgeting was implemented and resulted in 68,712 subscribers. The Newsletter contains information on gender-responsive budgeting, exchange of experiences, and best practices. In March first GRB LinkedIn Newsletter edition was published achieving 29,142 impressions (number of times it appeared on LinkedIn), 1,071 interactions (sum of likes, comments, shares) and 423 direct reactions. Second edition published in August reached 20,348 impressions, 659 interactions and 297 direct reactions. Un Women for the Americas and the Caribbean will continue using these tools to disseminate knowledge products and advocate for the implementation of GRB in the region. In partnership with FLACSO (The Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences), UN Women strengthened institutional capacities through the yearly virtual specialized course on Gender Responsive Budgeting for women in politics, "Gender Budgeting: Tools for Latin American Women Politicians", aimed at delivering public services with a gender perspective. In the three years this course has been implemented, UN Women has reached 300 women leaders in decision-making positions. In 2024, an impact report will be developed to analyze the 2020 to 2023 course editions and determine their impact on budgetary processes aimed at gender equality. It will also identify recommendations to help improve the impact of these trainings for women in politics.Showing 1 - 5 of 14