Outcome ARG_D_2.2

More care and macroeconomic policies promote social protection and more and better jobs for women.

Significant progress was achieved within this outcome in 2021. First, evidence was generated on the impact of Covid 19 on a population particularly affected by the degrees of dependency they present: the elderly. The research analysed the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in older women in Argentina and provided policy recommendations to local and national government related to care services for this population considered a group of risk. Second, the competencies and professional skills of 753 people who work as caregivers of the elderly in day care centres and long -stay residences were improved through a virtual training in Care Policies with gender perspective implemented by UN Women and the Ibero-American Social Security Organization (OISS) in collaboration with the National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners (INSSJP / PAMI). As a result, quality in care service provision will improve, and therefore PAMI granted a 10% increase for the months of September and October of the year 2021 on the approved fee for the month of August 2021, to the Day Centers and Long-Stay Residences that have teams that have completed and approved this educational instance, among other quality requirements. Third, UN Women provided technical assistance in the drafting of the chapter on older adults in the draft bill on the Comprehensive Care System, which is currently under review by the Cabinet of Ministers of the national government. Fourth, with the support of UN Women and UNOPS, the Ministry of Public Works created a Program on Care Infrastructure and through the Fund of Care Infrastructure allocated the 8,5% of annual budget to care infrastructure targeting childhood, health, youth and gender, to promote a better quality of life of this groups. Finally, with the support of UN Women in 2021 the first National Budget with gender perspective was developed by the Ministry of Economy, and capacities of the provincial governments to carry out their own gender budgeting processes was improved. The budget tool is central to identify the fiscal effort made by the country to close gender gaps and, thus, to have evidence to promote greater investment in gender policies.

More care and macroeconomic policies promote social protection and more and better jobs for women.

Important advances in the implementation of gender budgets happened in 2022. At national level, the Parliament approved the National budget 2023, which is the third of the country with gender perspective, and this trend was replicated at subnational level: while in 2021 15 provinces advanced towards the development of gender budgets, in 2022 there are 16, including Salta, which for the first time started developing and submitted to the legislature a proposal of Gender Budget for 2023. Moreover, Entre Rios introduced for the first time the budget with gender perspective (it had started working in 2021) and Neuquen mainstreamed the gender perspective in the Provincial Budget 2023, which means that all government areas were involved in the design and planning of the budget. UN Women contributed to these advances providing technical and financial support to subnational governments through the online course "Elements for the construction of a budget with a gender and diversity perspective" and assistance for the implementation of their budgets. Technical assistance was also provided to the Direction of Economy and Gender Equality of the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity. In terms of care infrastructure, in 2022 the Ministry of Public Works - UN Women partner - enhanced the implementation of the Care Infrastructure Program launched in 2021, through which the Ministry commits to invest 8.5% of its annual budget in this key infrastructure. During the first half of 2022, the Ministry of Public Works invested approximately 7.6 billion Argentinian pesos, equivalent to 12.7% of the annual budget of this portfolio surpassing the 8.5% committed. Significant advances can be accounted at subnational levels: in the province of Santa Fe, in 2022, care infrastructure works grew to 25 actions and will end in 2023 with 48 actions identified and reaching more than 130 infrastructure works projects. UN Women supported the province (together with Chaco) with a study that analyses the coverage gaps in care services; estimates the costs of public investments and expenditures for eliminating these coverage gaps; and assessment of the returns to such investments in terms of employment growth were carried out. Finally, the National Institute for Social Services for Retired Population (PAMI) showed its strength to improve the provision of essential services, goods and/or resources for women, through leading the Second Edition of the Ibero-American Diploma on Care Policies for professionals who works at Long-Term Residences or Day Centers, with the support of UN Women and Ibero-American Social Security Organization. The first edition had been developed in the framework of the Interagency Program MPTF Covid-19.