Regional Consultations for Latin America and the Caribbean leading up to the sixty-third session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63) took place on 11-12 December in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The Consultation convened Ministers and the highest gender authorities from 26 countries of the region and focused on the priority theme of the CSW63: “Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls”, to take place from 11 to 22 March 2019 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Prior to the Consultations, on 10 December during the Civil Society Forum, Regional Director of UN Women for the Americas and the Caribbean Luiza Carvalho met with the civilian society members and representatives from regional networks and NGOs from Latin American and Caribbean to discuss different topics related work, social protection and care economy, access to public services, and the progress on the defense of women’s rights taking in count the diversity of women and their context in, rural and urban areas.
“Coordinated and well-funded social protection, public services, and sustainable infrastructure are imperative to achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. There are significant connections between these three areas which, when adequately addressed, have the potential to multiply positive impacts and improve the lives of women, children, families, communities and societies”, commented Luiza Carvalho, Regional Director of UN Women for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Over the last 25 years major advances in women’s economic empowerment and gender equality have been achieved, however, there are recent trends in the region that are cause for concern.
Gender-oriented and coordinated investments in social protection systems, public services and sustainable infrastructure are required in order to face these challenges. Universal and gender-based social protection systems are necessary in order to reduce the gender gap in poverty, protect the security of women’s income during their whole life cycle and strengthen their resilience in a crisis situation.
The Consultations concluded with the approval of the “Buenos Aires Declaration” which reflects the region’s priorities and contains a series of recommendations, strategies and a common positioning towards the CSW63, the main international inter-governmental organ dedicated exclusively to the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Original source: UN Women
Published on 04 March 2019
