On 16 November, UN Women and ECLAC in partnership held a virtual event to present the document “Towards the construction of Comprehensive Care Systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. Elements for their implementation”, an initiative that arises from the Regional Gender Agenda, promoted within the framework of the Generation Equality Forum and which had the participation of the EU EUROsociAL+ Programme.
Foto: Taylor Brandon
Speaking at the opening of the event, Alicia Bárcena, executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and Raquel Coello, regional specialist on Economic Empowerment Policies of UN Women for the Americas and the Caribbean, gave their thanks for the participation of all the stakeholders. During their presentations, the document’s reasons and objectives were explained, the latter arising as a result of the Pandemic, which has evidenced structural knots and setbacks in the progress achieved in recent years. Placing care at the centre of the economy and the importance of instruments for public policies.
The presentation of the document was carried out by María Noel Vaeza, regional director of UN Women for the Americas and the Caribbean, who explained the progress that this document represents in defining a field of action for care policies that enables coordination with others through a set of policies aimed at establishing a new social organisation of care. These guidelines are prepared to present a governance system or model that breaks down care policies and the coordination necessary for the implementation of specific programmes and services. All this with a vision of intersectoral components that enables the placing of care systems at the centre of policies to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
Meanwhile, Nadine Gasman, chairwoman of the National Institute of Women of Mexico, briefly presented the Partnership towards the Care System describing the progress of Mexico in the matter. The Mexican Chamber of Deputies approved the new organic structure, which was sent for approval to the Senate. This opinion seeks to modify the Constitution, specifically Articles 4 and 73, which seek comprehensive care for children, with men and women sharing the responsibility. Gasman concluded her presentation by announcing Mexico’s presidency of the United Nations Security Council, where it has an agenda focused on welfare policies and the fight against corruption.
Louis Holt, Director General for Social Development at Canada’s Office of International Affairs, presented Canada’s international and national vision of the care system. He pointed out that the care situation in Canada and especially the effects of the pandemic, have shown the precariousness of minority groups and women in this context. Likewise, he detailed the international agenda for the financing and drawing up of instruments that manage to implement an intersectional perspective through international cooperation.
Sharon Robinson, director of the Jamaica Office of Gender Affairs, presented the National Plan for Development with Vision to 2030. She stressed that public policies have a mainstreaming vision which aims to create socioeconomic impacts for people who are involved within the scope of care. Likewise, he explained the objectives in relation to the 2030 sustainable development agenda.
Marisol Touraine, a specialist in the EUROsociAL+ Gender Equality Policy Area, was part of the panel organising proposals “Towards comprehensive care systems, and emphasised that the document presented lays the foundations for a civilisational change in Latin America. She explained how the pandemic in Europe highlighted the importance of care workers (80% women), being front-line agents for supporting sick people. Likewise, she presented the European Commission programmes, including the Next Generation EU project that contains an investment strategy for the recovery and change of care systems, which are necessary for a positive democratic recovery. Within the schemes, she explained how it is expected that an increase in salary and care aid will, in the long run, be reflected in a more efficient and developed economy, creating a precedent for a different vision of the social sector. She indicated that these programmes are aimed at domestic workers, women who support children and people with disabilities, as well as the entire sector entrusted with caregiving. She stressed that a systemic vision of care presents quality in employment and, therefore, a participatory and inclusive democracy, all with the premise of autonomy for the people being cared for and for the caregivers. Finally, he stressed that these public policies also seek to involve interested parties such as NGOs.
Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta, Minister for Women, Gender and Diversity of Argentina, announced a care and collaboration agenda between ministries to reverse gender inequalities and the unfair redistribution of care practices in Argentina, with and from a feminist and a human rights perspective. She added that this platform is a space in which to discuss and project works for the construction of true care societies through a systemic approach. She called for continuing discussions on the document presented, which contains a systematisation of good practices, an exchange of experiences and an improvement of complex public policies, aimed at a Comprehensive Care System. She shared the experience in Argentina explaining that, on 10 December 2019, the Ministry was created and in February of that same year the inter-institutional table of the Care System was established with national and international organisations. In addition, she mentioned the drafting convention for a draft law for the regulation of a comprehensive system of care policies, which includes civil society and stakeholders in the sector with a view to presenting an initiative to Congress in 2022.
She also spoke of the federal and regional map of ECLAC care, which shows the deficits in services and their poor distribution. She emphasised the strong need for this framework to reverse the burden on women. She clarified that, in Argentina, the Care System is conceptualised by collective co-responsibility, the right to care for people and to receive care and its placement at the centre of public policies.
As good practices, she described the Registered Programme for access, permanence and employment registration in private homes and the scheme for financial inclusion. Likewise, she spoke of the Care Pension Recognition Programme for Women over 60 without access to a pension. She ended her presentation by talking about the policy at the federal level and the work of the Ministry of Public Works, which in coordination with other ministries is organising a guide for action and investment in infrastructure in Care Systems.
