Organization of American States Summits of the Americas
     
Follow-up and Implementation: Mandates
  

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GENDER ISSUES: Gender Discrimination
 MANDATES

  1. Strengthen the resilience of our health and education systems, our economies, and our communities, bearing in mind that the Americas share many challenges, made evident or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that we need comprehensive and genderresponsive approaches. Likewise, work together to rebuild our economies and institutions in a resilient, inclusive, and equitable manner and with the full and equitable participation of all women in order to achieve growth. To this end, we note the importance of facilitating investments increasing the availability of critical and accessible infrastructure, strengthening supply chains and public procurement, strengthening international markets, and increasing commercial integration, which lay the foundation for long-term equitable growth and prosperity. (Action Plan on Health and Resilience in the Americas, IX Summit of the Americas, Los Angeles, 2022).

  1. Emphasize, without exclusions, the mainstreaming of human rights, equity, equality, and the interconnection of multiple and compounding forms of discrimination, exclusion, and inequality, and the social determinants of health, with particular attention to the needs and challenges faced by members of groups that have been historically marginalized, discriminated against and/or in vulnerable situations, as well as all women and girls, taking into account their diverse conditions and situations, in a manner consistent with national legislation and international law, in all aspects of the Action Plan. (Action Plan on Health and Resilience in the Americas, IX Summit of the Americas, Los Angeles, 2022).

  1. Place persons and communities at the center of the Action Plan, addressing inequalities and inequities, promoting gender equality, to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences, as expressed in Target 5.6 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. (Action Plan on Health and Resilience in the Americas, IX Summit of the Americas, Los Angeles, 2022).

  1. Increase efforts to ensure inclusion and diversity in all aspects of governance, through the following actions:

    • a. Increasing the use of tools that incorporate gender perspective in assessing and drafting legislation so that laws and policies are responsive to differential impacts on men, women, boys, and girls, including in efforts to address climate change, the digital economy, and healthcare, among others;

    • c. Reducing social, cultural, structural, economic, and legal barriers to full and equitable economic participation and opportunity, including but not limited to, access to financial markets and credit, access to natural and productive resources, non-discrimination in hiring and employment, and access to safe and reliable care;

    • d. Addressing the impacts of sexual and gender-based violence on women’s access to job opportunities, their ability to move and travel freely, and their opportunities to reach political, legal, social, and economic equality; (Inter-American Action Plan on Democratic Governance, IX Summit of the Americas, Los Angeles, 2022).

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  1. Taking action such that follow-up measures stemming from the Lima Commitment promote the advancement of gender equity and equality and women’s empowerment in the Hemisphere. (Lima Commitment. Peru, 2018)

  1. To eliminate discrimination against women at work through, among other measures, the implementation of a range of policies that will increase women’s access to decent, dignified, and productive work, including policies addressing training and education and protection of the rights of women, as well as proactive policies to ensure that men and women enjoy equality in the workplace. (Plan of Action Mar del Plata, 2005).

  1. Develop, review and implement laws , procedures, codes and regulations to guarantee compatibility with international legal obligations and to prohibit and eliminate all forms of discrimination based on gender , and continue work begun at the Santiago Summit that set the goal of legal equality between men and women by the year 2002; (Plan of Action Québec, 2001).

  1. Consider signing and ratifying, ratifying, or acceding to, as soon as possible and as the case may be, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and its Optional Protocol; (Plan of Action Québec, 2001).

  1. Recognizing that women's empowerment, their full and equal participation in the development of our societies, and their equal opportunities to exercise leadership are all central to the reduction of poverty, the promotion of economic and social prosperity, people centered sustainable development, consolidation of democracy and conflict resolution and the development of equal partnerships between women and men; further recognizing that these principles are the basis for promoting gender equality and women's human rights in the Americas and working towards the elimination of the full range of inequalities: (Plan of Action Québec, 2001).

  1. Examine the existing laws and their implementation in order to identify obstacles limiting the full participation of women in the political, economic, social and cultural life of our countries. Whenever necessary, promote reforms or create new laws to eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and to guarantee the protection of children’s rights. (Plan of Action Santiago, 1998).

  • 18.8 Encourage, as appropriate, ratification and compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women. (Plan of Action Miami, 1994).

 

 
 
 
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