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OAS Secretary General Highlights Challenges for Political Equality of Women in the Americas

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, today highlighted the progress made in recent years towards achieving equal rights for women in the Americas, but warned at the same time that there remain “important challenges,” among them "prejudices and stereotypes" in the political arena.

At the inauguration of the Hemispheric Forum, "Women's Leadership for a Citizens' Democracy," in Washington, DC, co-organized by the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) of the OAS, UN Women, and the Ibero-American General Secretariat, Secretary General Insulza recalled that "today all of the Constitutions of countries in the region contain equal rights for women and men," that in the Americas “seven women have been elected presidents or heads of state during the last five years,” and that the presence of women in parliaments and governments continues to grow.

Although he stated that the numbers are cause for optimism, he also noted that they are still not enough. "Inequality and the low political representation of women in legislative, executive, and judiciary powers, as well as at the helm of political parties, are critical indicators of the shortcomings of our democracy and our rule of law," he said.

In this context, Secretary General Insulza said that "prejudice and resistance to the equality of women in political and state-level institutions represent serious obstacles to the construction of a citizen democracy that incorporates their proposals to create a solid and diverse citizenship at the ethnic and cultural level."

States in the Americas are committed to equality through international agreements like the “Convention of Belem do Para” in the framework of the OAS, and the "UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.” But according to the OAS Secretary General, it is still necessary to "harmonize national legislation to translate it into qualitative changes in the political work of the countries of the region."

"The countries of the Americas cannot under-utilize the enormous potential for development and social transformation that women represent," he said. "A democratic state that responds to modern and pluralistic societies necessarily involves the elimination of all barriers and obstacles that women face. Parity in political representation and at the head of State institutions is a debt to women and an unfinished business in our region," concluded the top representative of the hemispheric organization.

The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, was present at the Forum’s inauguration and presented a lecture on the challenges to women’s equality in democratic systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. In her speech, she mentioned the importance of having instruments such as the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which represents "a laudable achievement" in terms of equality. She also presented some important figures related to the role of women in key sectors for development and spoke of the challenges faced by women in political life. “The under-representation of women in decision making and existing gender inequalities must be addressed if we truly yearn for that level of democracy that will support and sustain the true economic and social wellbeing of our peoples,” she said.

The President of the CIM, Rocio Garcia Gaytan, for her part, explained that the Forum "seeks to place the political rights of women at the center of the debate on strengthening democratic governance in the region." "Without women, there is no democracy. Without the defense of women’s rights and without the effective representation of their demands for democracy, without the presence and incidence of women in the spaces and processes of decision making, there is no democracy," said the CIM President, who is the also the President of Mexico’s National Institute of Women.

Through a recorded message, the Ibero-American Secretary General, Enrique Iglesias, expressed his satisfaction with the progress made on gender equality, and for the commitments that have been expressed by nations to promote it, particularly in terms of political participation. Nevertheless, he noted that it is not enough, and added that "perhaps the most serious problem is the distance that often exists between law and reality. The effective implementation of what is approved often leaves us with a bitter taste." He referred to the issue of economic discrimination against women and called for a "Pact for Gender Equality in Latin America and the Caribbean,” one that “involves all of the social, political and economic sectors, and encourages us to see the issue of equality not as a problem but as an opportunity,” he said.

The opening of the Forum was also attended by the Chief of Latin America and the Caribbean Section of UN Women, Gladys Acosta, who made reference to the historical background of women's participation in the building of democracy, and explained how "the condemnation of oppression within social relations and against the oppressive ways in search of a real autonomy" has been achieved. The subject of progress in the juridical arena and the possible interpretations of the principle of equality and non-discrimination also were part of her speech, which stressed that "the third millennium goal that refers to the empowerment of women has to be projected beyond education and participation in parliaments.”

The Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United States, Muni Figueres, on behalf of the President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, argued for the need for a "substantive reform of the State that incorporates a new vision of citizenship and a new order of social life organized around quality of life values." Ambassador Figueres suggested that, in the framework of the meeting, participants should rethink democracy "through the repositioning of women from the periphery to the center of the formal organization of power, or the State."

The hemispheric Forum will last until Wednesday, April 6, with special speakers who are to address issues related to the current situation of women’s human rights and related challenges; evaluating the exercise of those rights and monitoring at the hemispheric level; perspectives on democracy and women's political citizenship; and citizenship rights and the new state for an inclusive and plural democracy.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-595/11