Moving from Formal to Substantive Equality
could also submit testimonial videos and share their public outreach projects. They were interested in drawing on their
collective power and sending advocacy letters to the United Nations and to the presidents of legislative bodies to denounce violence against women.
Finally, they reiterated that the Group should ensure that more men are present in gender equality forums like those organized through ParlAmericas.
Employment and Economic Empowerment for Women
In this category, conversations addressed some of the following problems: hiring and employment discrimination based on sex, parental status, and appearance; women’s limited access to start-up capital, as well as land, financial, and human resources and capital assets like machinery; the lack of inspirational mentoring and business training; and lastly, the burden of women’s expected role as primary caregivers to dependents (children, the elderly, people with disabilities or health problems), which – as in the case of teenage motherhood – can lead to school dropout, a life of poverty, and the relegation of one’s personal endeavours as secondary to the endeavours of others.
Delegates suggested that in their individual capacities, efforts should focus on lobbying within their legislatures to modernize or amplify tactics for women’s economic empowerment. They were determined to seek more adequate funding to implement
already-existing policies such as child support and pensions for homemakers. They were interested in pursuing innovative
programs oriented towards women in cooperatives and small or medium businesses, through direct access to credit and micro-credit. In terms of training, they prioritized business administration and management as key skills for economic independence. Training should furthermore be provided in women’s homes so they are not obligated to travel long distances to receive it.
The most popular ideas, many of which have already been implemented in certain countries, included: women-only banks with special interest rates, financial incentives for women entrepreneurs and companies that hire women, the state’s assumption of co-responsibility for babies, extension of social benefits to part time workers, instruments to report companies with pay disparity between men and women, incorporating unpaid work within national budgets, and identification of the worst salaries and working conditions for women. It was furthermore important to the Group that access to daycare be recognized as directly related to economic empowerment. Finally, the creation of a regional fund was suggested (source of money to be determined) which member legislatures could access for relevant training programs for women.
For actions at the Group level, suggestions included reviewing all relevant laws and policies to create a knowledge database of best practices related to bank regulation, reduction of bureaucratic processes, flexible loans for women, effective public/private sector models, and training in financial