The opening ceremony of the main United Nations regional intergovernmental forum on women’s rights and gender equality will be held in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, 8 November at 16:00 hours (GMT-3).
The President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, will open in Buenos Aires the 15th Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, organised by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in coordination with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The main theme of the meeting is “The Caring Society: Horizon for a Sustainable Recovery with Gender Equality”.
At the opening ceremony, to be held at the Sheraton Hotel on Tuesday 8 November at 16: José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of ECLAC; Ayelén Mazzina, Minister of Women, Gender and Diversity of Argentina; Antonia Orellana, Minister of Women and Gender Equality of Chile; María-Noel Vaeza, UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean; Claudia Mojica, Resident Coordinator of the UN System in Argentina; and Gabriel Boric, President of Chile, as outgoing Chair of the Regional Conference (by video).
The Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean is the main UN regional intergovernmental forum on women’s rights and gender equality. The meeting, which this year celebrates its 45th anniversary, will be attended by representatives of governments, UN and intergovernmental agencies, academia and civil society, in particular women’s and feminist movements.
On Wednesday 9, ECLAC will present the position paper The Caring Society: towards a sustainable recovery with gender equality, which highlights the urgency of implementing a change in the style of development to move towards a Caring Society in which the interdependence between people is recognised, as well as the interdependence between productive processes and society; a Caring Society that places the sustainability of human life and the planet at the centre of development.
On Thursday 10, two documents will be presented: The financing of care systems and policies in Latin America and the Caribbean: contributions for a sustainable recovery with gender equality, prepared by ECLAC and UN Women, and Breaking the statistical silence to achieve gender equality in 2030: application of the axis on information systems of the Montevideo Strategy for the Implementation of the Regional Gender Agenda in the Framework of Sustainable Development towards 2030, prepared by ECLAC in the framework of two subsidiary bodies: the Statistical Conference of the Americas and the Regional Conference on Women.
The programme of the XV Regional Conference on Women includes a high-level debate on the Caring Society in the region, two thematic panels – on financing care and caring for the planet – and a round table on co-responsibility for care.
Prior to the opening of the meeting, on Monday 7 November and the morning of 8 November, a Parliamentary Forum will be held and there will be various activities organised by civil society, including a forum of feminist organisations. At least 30 side events are also planned.
