Abstract
The COVID-19 crisis demonstrated on a global scale the ways in which institutions failed to consider their most vulnerable populations during the pandemic. This chapter examines the context in which COVID-19 responses aggravated the vulnerabilities of Latin America and the Caribbean’s population, disproportionately affecting women and girls. New regulations, in tandem with existing institutional flaws and the region’s downward economic trends, have amplified health risks for women such as isolation, lack of income, and decreased access to health services. This, in turn, has increased the rate of domestic and family violence and femicide in the region. Along with these severe negative impacts on women and girls, these trends also threaten the region’s ability to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Therefore, this chapter highlights response recommendations that international and regional organisations have outlined for possible solutions to the ongoing crisis. These solutions help both women and girls as well as put the region on track for sustainable development. To take into consideration the region’s diversity, an analysis of the Brazilian case shows tangibly how women are impacted and how institutional changes may provide the necessary steps to finally change these negative trends for countries in the region.
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Notes
- 1.
The Gini Index is a summary measure of income inequality. Its coefficient outlines the dispersion of income across the entire income distribution, ranging from 0 (perfect equality, implying equal shares) to 1 (perfect inequality, implying one or one group is the sole recipient of the incomes).
- 2.
(16.1) Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. (16.3) Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. (16.7) Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. (16.8) Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global governance. (16.a) Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime (16. b) Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development (UN 2022).
- 3.
(5.3) Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. (5.4) Recognise and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate. (5.5) Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. (5. B) Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women. (IV Luz Civil Society Report of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—Brazil 2020)
- 4.
(5.1) End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. (5.2) Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. (5.6) Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences. (5.a) Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws. (5.c) Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels. (IV Luz Civil Society Report of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—Brazil 2020).
- 5.
(4.6) Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy. (IV Luz Civil Society Report of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—Brazil 2020).
- 6.
(8.5) Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. (8.8) Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments of all workers, including migrant workers, particularly women migrants, and those in precarious employment. (IV Luz Civil Society Report of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—Brazil 2020).
- 7.
(10.2) Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status. (10.3) Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard. (10.4) Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality. (IV Luz Civil Society Report of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—Brazil 2020).
- 8.
(16.1) Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. (16.2) End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. (16.3) Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. (16.7) Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. (16.b) Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development. (IV Luz Civil Society Report of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—Brazil 2020).
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Bueno, G.M.G., Santos, L.M. (2022). COVID-19 in the Americas: Challenges in the Institutionalisation of the Gender Equality Agenda. In: Hosli, M.O., Blessing, A., Iacovidou, I. (eds) The Global, Regional and Local Politics of Institutional Responses to COVID-19. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09913-7_12
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