ILO held the 1st Gender and Inclusion Academy in Latin America

LIMA (ILO News) - The Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Labour Organization (ILO) hosted the first edition of the Gender and Inclusion Academy (21-25 October 2024), an event dedicated to training and sharing experiences among agents of change in gender equality and inclusion across the region. The Academy was co-organized with the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO) and in collaboration with Spain's Ministry of Labour and Social Economy.

Regional context 

Despite progress towards the Gender Agenda, women in Latin America and the Caribbean continue to face significant obstacles in accessing, remaining, and advancing in employment. While the labour force participation rate for men is 74.6%, for women it is only 51.1%. This disparity is further intensified for women over 25 due to care work. Additionally, 91% of rural women with no formal education work in informal conditions, compared to 25.7% of highly educated urban men. Domestic workers, primarily Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and migrant women, also experience high levels of informality, with 76% lacking formal working conditions.

On the other hand, gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work are also concerning issues in the region. Young women are 5.5% more likely than men to experience psychological harassment and more than twice as likely to face sexual harassment in the workplace. Furthermore, these inequalities risk being exacerbated by the climate change crisis, which particularly affects Indigenous women, who face lower levels of well-being and are at risk of being excluded from new green jobs generated in decarbonization sectors.

About the Gender and Inclusion Academy

The Gender and Inclusion Academy was designed as a training and exchange event aimed at all those serving as agents of change in the region. Over 130 participants from 17 countries attended, including government officials, representatives of workers' and employers' organizations, private sector entities, domestic workers' organizations, as well as Indigenous and Afro-descendant leaders, among others.

Over five days, plenary sessions and specialized workshops were led by more than 37 regional leaders and experts. Four key thematic areas were addressed to tackle gender inequalities in the region:

1. The full inclusion of women in the labour market under equal conditions;
2. Transformative care policies;
3. A world of work free from gender-based violence and harassment; and
4. Gender equality and inclusion for a just transition.

The Gender and Inclusion Academy has provided enriching learning opportunities and exchanges of experiences and knowledge to all participants, fostering a commitment to advancing a transformative Gender Agenda in the region, grounded in the ILO's fundamental and gender conventions. As such, it has contributed to strengthening social dialogue among various stakeholders to build an fair and inclusive future for all workers in Latin America and the Caribbean.