1. The Latin American and Caribbean Perspective
Gender equality and empowerment of women in the implementation of the MDGs:
The Latin American and Caribbean Perspective
Antonio Prado
Deputy Executive Secretary
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
New York, 2 July 2010

2. (In percentages of the totals for each gender)
The eradication of extreme poverty is unachievable without parallel progress in education, health and gender equality
LATIN AMERICA (15 COUNTRIES): POPULATION WITHOUT INCOME OF THEIR OWN BY GENDER AND AGE GROUPS, AROUND 2008
(In percentages of the totals for each gender)
This additional indicator represents a dimension of gender poverty that is not obtained directly by defining poverty lines using the household as a unit of analysis. Its purpose is to show the lack of economic autonomy among individuals, a situation which is much more frequent among women than men, as can be seen in this figure.
En todos los tramos de edad el porcentaje de mujeres sin ingresos propios es siempre mayor al de los hombres. Tanto en el área urbana como en la rural esta diferencia se profundiza en los dos tramos de edad que se asocian al ciclo reproductivo y No obstante la mayor inserción laboral de las mujeres, un porcentaje significativo de la población femenina en edad de trabajar desarrolla actividades no remuneradas como los quehaceres domésticos o ejerce como trabajadora familiar sin percibir remuneración.
MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Target 3a:
Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015.
Official indicators:
3.1. Ratio of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education.
3.2. Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector.
3.3. Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of household surveys conducted in the respective countries.
Notes: Students are excluded. Urban: Argentina, Bolivia (Pl. St. of), Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay. Rural : Bolivia (Pl. St. of), Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay. 2

3. The share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector has been rising on average in the region…
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: SHARE OF WOMEN IN WAGE EMPLOYMENT IN THE NON-AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, a
(In percentages)
About official indicator 3.2. Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector.
From 1990 to 2007, the share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector increased by three points, to 43%, continuining the trend towards reduction of the gap despite the heterogeneity of the differerent groups of countries. This indicator does not, however , reflect all the gender asymmetries in the labour market.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of United Nations Statistics Division, MDG indicators database.
a For Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Jamaica the time series ends in 2006 and for Barbados, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago it ends in 2005.
b Simple average of 15 countries: Argentina, Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela (Bol. Rep. of). 3

4. … and is higher in the Caribbean countries
THE CARIBBEAN: SHARE OF WOMEN IN WAGE EMPLOYMENT IN THE NON-AGRICULTURAL SECTOR, a
Entre 1990 y 2007 el porcentaje de mujeres en el empleo asalariado no agrícola ha avanzado lentamente. En el caso del Caribe se esta más cerca de una distribución porcentual más equitativa.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of United Nations Statistics Division, MDG indicators database.
a The number and which countries are considered for the computation of the regional average in each year differ according to the availability of data. 4

5. But still many women do not have economic resources of their own
LATIN AMERICA: POPULATION OF 15 YEARS OF AGE OR MORE WITHOUT INCOME OF THEIR OWN, a, b
(Percentage with respect to the totals of each gender)
Women
Men
Desde la perspectiva de género observar la composición por sexo en los ingresos de cada quintil ayuda a visualizar uno de los grandes desafíos que persisten y, ayuda a aproximarnos a la capacidad de consumo de los hogares. Considerando que cerca de la mitad de la población es de sexo femenino contrasta ver que el nivel total de ingresos que ellas perciben es de sólo el 31.8%, correspondiéndoles a los hombres el acceso del otro 68.2%
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), 2010
a Urban areas.
b The number of countries used for the computation of the regional average varied throughout the different time periods laccording to the availability of the national surveys: 1994, 14 countries; 1999, 13 countries; 2002 and 2005, 16 countries; 2003 and 2008, 14 countries. 5

6. Women also tend to get hired for more precarious jobs
LATIN AMERICA: URBAN EMPLOYMENT IN LOW PRODUCTIVITY SECTORS, 2008
(In percentages of total urban employment)
Fuente: CEPAL, sobre la base de tabulaciones especiales de las encuestas de hogares de los respectivos países.
A pesar de los avances educativos y sociales, las familias y las empresas siguen creyendo que las mujeres deben/quieren atender las responsabilidades familiares prioritariamente y que los hombres ni deben ni quieren hacerlo. Esto lleva a menudo a sacrificar el capital educativo obtenido con los avances en educación y deja a las personas frente a opciones laborales que no incluyen ni desde el Estado ni desde las empresas servicios de cuidado ni medidas de conciliación entre la vida familiar y laboral. Como lo demuestra la información de las encuestas de uso del tiempo más recientes, en la mayoría de los países, la división sexual del trabajo al interior de los hogares es un dato duro y queda demostrado que aún cuando los hombres no están insertos en el mercado de trabajo no asumen las tareas de cuidado de manera significativa. Aunque es cierto que la informalidad y precariedad laboral afectan a hombres y mujeres, a ellas se las excluye con mayor frecuencia a causa de la maternidad o las responsabilidades familiares.
ECLAC has contributed to break the strategic silence maintained over the burden of unpaid work, which falls unfairly on the shoulders of women and for which they receive neither recognition nor compensation.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of household surveys conducted in the respective countries. 6

7. And wage gaps are still very unfavorable to female workers
LATIN AMERICA (11 PAÍSES): women average labour income and wages and salaries in comparison with those earned by men, URBAN areas a
(Percentages)
Qué pasa en los países? Algunos decrecen, otros se mantienen y otros aumentan. Los avances en el indicador oficial 11 son lentos.
Si continúa la misma tendencia la discriminación en los ingresos laborales no estará resuelta en 2015, se proyecta que las mujeres ganen el equivalente al 73% de los hombres, mientras que para las asalariadas esta mejor previsto pues podrían ganan cerca de un 94% de lo que ganan los hombres.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of special tabulations of household surveys conducted in the respective countries.
a Simple average of 11 countries: Argentina, Bolivia (Pl. St. of), Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay. 7

8. Higher levels of education work towards gender equality
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: RATIO OF GIRLS TO BOYS IN NET ENROLMENT RATES IN PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION, 2007
Fuente: CEPAL, sobre la base de tabulaciones especiales de las encuestas de hogares de los respectivos países.
About official indicator 3.1. Ratio of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education
The figure show no marked differences among countries with regard to access to primary education in the region. Still difficult for girls in Saint Lucia, Guatemala and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. At the secondary level Saint Kitts and Nevis shows the lowest enrolment in the region.
Regard tertiary education female enrolment largely exceeds male enrolment. When they do enter to university they tend to concentrate in the less prestigious courses associated with health and education, thus prolonging domestic roles of caring for others which are also less valued in the labour market.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of UNESCO-IEU. 8

9. In the last five years the region has elected five female presidents, an unprecedented event that shows a change in the collective consciousness
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN, OTHER REGIONS AND THE WORLD: PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE BODIES IN 1990, 2005 AND 2009
(Percentages)
About official indicator 3.3. Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments.
Women's political participation has grown, and the fact that five of the region's countries (Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago) have been governed by women in the last five years is an outstanding achievement that testifies to women's capacity to contribute to democratic change in societies, giving visibility and contributing to symbolic cultural change and empowerment. It is also worth noting women's increased participation in government cabinets, particularly in non-traditional ministries such as defence and economic affairs, and the slow but perceptible growth in their participation in parliament.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of Millennium Indicators Database, United Nations Statistics Division, last update 14 Jul 2009 , on the basis of information provided by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (website: 9

10. Women in national parliaments
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE BODIES, YEAR 2009
(Percentages)
About official indicator 3.3. Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments.
In Latin America, electoral gender quotas started to be introduced in the 1990s, beginning with Argentina’s approval of its gender quota law in Since then Women's participation in the lower houses of parliament is growing thanks to implementation of quotas mechanisms. Nonetheless, they have not yet attained parity, or even a 30% share, as indicated in the legislation on quotas in force in several countries (Brazil, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Plurinational State of Bolivia, and Uruguay). Cuba is one of the world leaders in terms of women's representation in parliament, which stands at 43.32%.
It is important to mentioned that the percentage of women in Latin American parliaments has also grown in countries without quota laws, albeit more slowly and erratically, since women’s representation depends more on political will than on current regulations.
Source: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), on the basis of Millennium Indicators Database, United Nations Statistics Division, last update 14 Jul 2009 , on the basis of information provided by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (website: 10

11. Gender Equality Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean
At the tenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Quito, Ecuador (2007), the member States of ECLAC requested the creation of a gender equality observatory.
The Observatory provides information about the three areas of autonomy, indicators such as:
Paid and unpaid work, time use and poverty
Access to decision-making and political representation
Gender violence
Health and reproductive rights
The information use at the Observatory is provided by National Governments. 11

12. What kind of State? What kind of equality?
Eleventh session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean
Brasilia, July 2010
The key to ending the primary inequality between men and women is to change the social, political, cultural and economic bases that underpin the sexual division of labour
The key to ending the primary inequality between men and women is to change the social, political, cultural and, in this case, economic bases that underpin the sexual division of labour. 12

13. What kind of State? What kind of equality?
Proposals:
Reform the links between the basic institutions of society, the State, the family and the market, through public policies.
At the initiative of the State, take all the necessary steps, whether legislative, institutional, educational, health-related, fiscal or related to women’s participation in decision-making in order to do away with gender biases in the labour market and overcome the wage gap, segmentation and discrimination.
Guarantee the rights of women in the labour market and within the family so as to create the necessary conditions for them to gain economic and physical empowerment as well as empowerment in all decision-making spheres.
Build a solid institutional framework with the appropriate regulatory capacity. 13