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OAS Secretary General Closed Hemispheric Meeting of Ministers of Women’s Affairs

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, today closed in San Salvador the Fourth Meeting of Ministers or of the Highest-Ranking Authorities responsible for the Advancement of Women in the Member States (REMIM IV), organized by the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) of the OAS. The event featured agreements on the integration of the gender perspective in the document to be issued from the Sixth Summit of the Americas, an event that will be held in April 2012 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, with the theme of “Connecting the Americas: Partners for Prosperity.”

In his speech, Secretary General Insulza highlighted that the REMIM’s focus on the Summit of the Americas “underlines the political commitment of the governments of the continent with the progress of equality and the rights of women.” “It also shows regional consensus in strengthening the exercise of the rights of women and in achieving changes to the paradigms that will lead us to full equality in all aspects of our society,” he added.

In this sense, the head of the hemispheric organization recalled that “at the OAS we are convinced that without women there is no democracy, or economic competitiveness, or social progress; and without the full enjoyment of the rights of women, including the elimination of violence perpetrated against them in all aspects, there will be no justice or peace or security.” That is why, he noted, “I wish to assure you of the OAS’s support so your countries may continue to make progress along this road.”

To continue to advance in this field is essential, the head of the OAS continued, since “despite the efforts that have been made in this matter” and that the Inter-American Democratic Charter in its article 28 establishes that “States shall promote the full and equal participation of women in the political structures of their countries as a fundamental element in the promotion and exercise of a democratic culture,” there persists “the unequal representation of women at the head of democratic institutions in the countries of the region.” As an example he cited the fact that women only represent 20.84 percent of members of governments in 30 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; in local governments they occupy less than 8.5 percent of mayoralties in Latin America; and they only achieve 19 percent of high-level positions in the justice sector throughout the continent.

Regarding the internal policy of the OAS, the Secretary General asserted that the institution he directs “has made progress in recent years towards the institutionalization of a gender-equality and rights approach throughout its institutional activities, in fulfillment of the mandates of our General Assembly and the commitments acquired by their countries.” In fact, he recalled that the OAS this year produced a manual for the incorporation of the gender perspective in all of the Organization’s projects, backed by an official directive from the Secretary General that formalizes the integration of gender within the cycle of the institution’s projects. He also noted that to consolidate these efforts with the Organization’s personnel, at the beginning of 2012 the institution will launch a virtual course on the integration of the gender perspective into policies and programs, and it will be available to its personnel as well as to the region’s public officials.

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

Reference: E-932/11