Gender refers to the socially defined roles, characteristics and opportunities that a society defines as appropriate for men, women, boys and girls and people with non-binary identities. It is not a static concept but rather one that changes over time and place.

Inequalities between women and men persist in all regions of the world, including Latin America and the Caribbean, and are manifested in all aspects of women’s lives, including less access to jobs, lower wages, underrepresentation in decision-making positions and having to dedicate more time to unpaid domestic and care work.

Gender equality and the eradication of discrimination against women are posed in both international and regional rights instruments, that not only conceptualize the issue, but also propose paths for achieving such goals.

Various alternatives are available, based on recommendations and relevant experiences on the level of formulation of laws, plans, strategies, public policies and programmes in favor of human rights and women’s equality.

Social distancing measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the loss of jobs and income, and also added to the burden on women of unpaid domestic work and caregiving, forcing them to leave the paid workforce at a higher rate than men, and aggravating the feminization of poverty.