What kind of State? What kind of equality? XI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean: Brasilia, 13-16 July 2010. Summary

The document What kind of State? What kind of equality? analyses the progress of gender equality in the region 15 years after the approval of the Beijing Platform for Action, 10 years after the drafting of the Millennium Development Goals and 3 years after the adoption of the Quito Consensus at the tenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in 2007. It also examines the achievements made and challenges faced by governments in light of the interaction between the State, the market and families as social institutions built on the foundation of policies, laws, and customs and habits which, together, establish the conditions for renewing or perpetuating gender and social hierarchies.

¿Qué Estado para qué igualdad?: XI Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe: Brasilia, 13 al 16 de julio de 2010. Síntesis

En el documento ¿Qué Estado para qué igualdad? se analiza el progreso de la igualdad de género en la región tras 15 años de la aprobación de la Plataforma de Acción de Beijing, 10 años de la formulación de los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Mileno y 3 años de la adopción del Consenso de Quito en la décima Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe realizada en 2007. Se examinan además los logros y desafíos que enfrentan los gobiernos a la luz de la interacción entre el Estado, el mercado y las familias como instituciones sociales construidas a partir de políticas, leyes, usos y costumbres que, en conjunto, establecen las condiciones para renovar o perpetuar las jerarquías sociales y de género.

Que tipo de estado? que tipo de igualdade? XI Conferencia Regional sobre a Mulher da América Latina e do Caribe: Brasília, 13 a 16 de julho de 2010. Síntese

No documento Que tipo de Estado? Que tipo de igualdade? analisa-se o progresso da igualdade de gênero na Região depois de 15 anos da aprovação da Plataforma de Ação de Beijing, 10 anos da formulação dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio e 3 anos da adoção do Consenso de Quito, na décima Conferência Regional sobre a Mulher da América Latina e do Caribe realizada em 2007. Examinam-se, além disso, as conquistas e desafios que enfrentam os governos à luz da interação entre o Estado, o mercado e as famílias como instituições sociais construídas a partir de políticas, leis, usos e costumes que, em conjunto, estabelecem as condições para renovar ou perpetuar as hierarquias sociais e de gênero.

¿Qué Estado para qué igualdad?: XI Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe: Brasilia, 13 al 16 de julio de 2010

Este documento recoge contribuciones de las ministras y autoridades de los mecanismos para el adelanto de la mujer de América Latina y el Caribe, que definieron su contenido en la cuadragésima tercera reunión de la Mesa Directiva de la Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer de América Latina y el Caribe (Puerto España, 7 y 8 de julio de 2009), y que enviaron documentos e información para su preparación y enriquecieron su versión final con aportes y debates en dos foros virtuales. En este informe se integran los avances del Observatorio de igualdad de género de América Latina y el Caribe y se da cuenta del trabajo realizado durante sus dos primeros años de funcionamiento, con énfasis en la autonomía económica de las mujeres.

The employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean: Crisis in the labour markets and countercyclical responses

As predicted in the first bulletin, produced jointly by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), the impact of the economic crisis continued to be felt in Latin America and the Caribbean during the second quarter of 2009. Regional exports of goods and services contracted in response to sluggish demand on international markets, while remittances and foreign direct investment flows continued to fall, credit lost its buoyancy and the total wage bill diminished, owing mainly to job losses. As a result, the growth forecasts of many countries had to be adjusted downwards. Since the end of 2008, the countries of the region had started to implement countercyclical policies —albeit with significant differences— in an effort to use public spending to counter flagging investment and consumer-spending levels and boost aggregate demand. In this second bulletin, ECLAC and ILO show how the impact of the crisis has deepened in labour markets in the region in the first half of the year and examine existing options and the outcome of public-infrastructure and emergency employment programmes designed to mitigate the impact of the crisis on the labour market. The unemployment rate has risen in practically all countries compared with the previous year and this situation worsened further in the second quarter, when urban unemployment exceeded the rate of the corresponding period in 2008 by 1 percentage point (to stand at 8.5%, up from 7.5%), while in the first quarter, the variation was 0.6 of a percentage point. Labour indicators also point to an increase in informality, a decline in employment with social protection and a decrease in full-time employment. Labour-market trends observed in the first half-year, together with the forecast for a 1.9% decline in regional GDP in 2009, suggest that the average annual rate of urban unemployment in the region will be close to 8.5%. This forecast is slightly less pessimistic than the estimate given in the first bulletin; this is attributable to the fall in the participation rate in the first half-year to levels that are expected to remain low for the rest of the year. Without this reduction in the labour supply, due largely to the “discouragement effect”, the annual average urban unemployment rate would stand at between 8.8% and 8.9%. Thus, the open urban unemployment figure would increase by 2.5 million and if the “discouraged job-seekers” are included, then the number of additional persons not finding a niche in the urban labour market would climb to 3.2 million. In the region, as in the rest of the world, there are signs that the crisis may have reached bottom in the middle of the year. In many countries, production levels have ceased their decline and there are indications of an incipient recovery leading to cautious optimism that there may be a moderate upturn in labour markets in the fourth quarter. The pace of recovery will vary from one country to the next and is expected to be gradual at best. Even with the return to a growth path, there should be no illusion that the labour problems will immediately disappear. First, the recovery in employment is expected to lag behind the upturn in economic activity. Second, since economic growth is likely to remain moderate in the short term and well below the rates recorded between late 2003 and mid-2008, demand for labour and consequently the generation of good-quality jobs will continue to be weak. Thus, countries should not relax their efforts to defend and create decent jobs, but rather should take steps to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of available instruments. In this way, the region will be in a better position not only to confront the challenges of economic recovery, but also to strengthen the foundations for social inclusion and for advancing under more favourable conditions towards fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals.

Regional study on Women's unrecognized contribution to the economy

The findings and analysis of this study are based on desk review and secondary data to substantiate this growing phenomenon, especially among the female population. Further the recommendations that will be put forward in this study will be added to the literature and serve as a baseline for further study in the Caribbean region. The study is sectionalized as follows. Chapter one discusses in brief the demographics, social and economic profiles of Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. This chapter also examines the employment rate, gender and poverty, and the achievements and progress of member states as it relates to the MDGs especially goal number 3. Men are more likely to be employed in the formal sector than women, and earn higher wages and salaries in the labour market despite the fact women may have obtained tertiary level education. The literature showed that women are at home spending more time on child care and other household related responsibilities but this can still be considered employment. This chapter also addresses the achievements and progress of member states as it relates to the MDGs especially Goal 3. Chapter 2 identifies the literature review of related subjects for this study. Chapter 3 discusses the categories and type of labour activities in the informal economies in the Caribbean Region, for example, paid and unpaid work, time use, women working and their caring, responsibilities for their relatives, domestic workers being undervalued and under paid, street and market vendors, micro-enterprises the services sector and commercial sex workers. Chapter 4 examines the importance of social protection for those employed in the informal labour market and the self employed. Chapter 5 provides a preliminary analysis of the findings from this study. Chapter 6 details the preliminary conclusions and recommendations.

Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean 2006

Includes bibliography

Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean 2008

Includes bibliography

Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean 2010

Includes bibliography

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2004-2005

Includes bibliography

Estudio Económico de América Latina y el Caribe 2008-2009: políticas para la generación de empleo de calidad

Incluye Bibliografía

Labour flexibility and worker security: an Argentine perspective

Includes bibliography

Mexico: the dimensions of labour flexicurity

Includes bibliography

Women's contribution to equality in Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography

Labour markets, worker protection and lifelong learning in a global economy: experiences and perspectives of Latin America and the Caribbean

Includes bibliography