Women in Latin America and the Caribbean - Cepal

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III. TOWARDS A RESEARCH AND POLICY AGENDA
During the preparation of this document, it became evident that a research and policy agenda needed to be
adopted for the short- and medium-term on the two issues under consideration: political participation and
gender parity in decision-making processes at all levels and analysis of the contribution of women to the
economy and social protection, especially in relation to unpaid work performed by women. 1
The proposals set out below take into account the recommendations that emerged at the three
subregional meetings held in preparation for the tenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in
Latin America and the Caribbean: the subregional preparatory meeting for Central America and Mexico
(held in Guatemala City on 16 and 17 May 2007); the subregional preparatory meeting for the Caribbean
(held in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, on 23 and 24 May 2007), and the subregional preparatory
meeting for South America (held in Santiago, Chile, on 28 and 29 May 2007). 2 What is being presented
here is not so much a list of issues for research and public policy formulation as two strategic proposals
which seek to:
(i) Build bridges between knowledge and research, on the one hand, and public policies on
parity and unpaid work, on the other;
(ii) Respond to the needs of member Governments of the Regional Conference on Women in
Latin America and the Caribbean;
(iii) Propose a multidisciplinary study in order to gain insight into complex problems relating to
gender equality in the two thematic areas under consideration;
(iv) Engage all the actors involved at the national and regional level in a cooperative study based
on the exchange of best practices.
The research agenda proposed for policy formulation is based on the following goals:
(i) To develop new knowledge that sheds light on the nature of the problems that have arisen in
the sphere of gender policies in the region;
(ii) To incorporate this knowledge into the institution-building strategy of countries and, above
all, into the strategy of national mechanisms for the advancement of women;
(iii) To enhance the active leadership of these mechanisms through their participation as
Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference.
(iv) To take into account regional specificities and promote intraregional interchange for the
benefit of all women.
1
2
This proposal is based on the research methodology for development prepared by the Netherlands Development
Assistance Research Council (RAWOO).
See relevant reports.