25 October 2011: A new study released by the World Bank finds that more work is needed to close the gender gap in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), despite progress in many respects, and it calls for a second generation of gender policies in the region. The study, “Work and Family: Latin American and Caribbean Women in Search of a New Balance,” was launched at UN Women headquarters in New York, US, on 25 October 2011, with the participation of Michele Bachelet, UN Women Executive Director and former President of Chile.

The study found that by many indicators, such as labor market participation, parliamentary presence, university enrollment, and maternal mortality rates, LAC has closed the gender gap faster than other regions since the 1980s. Nearly 70 million women have joined the LAC labor market since 1980, participation in work outside the home among single LAC women now equals that as single LAC men, women outnumber men in LAC schools and universities, and women hold nearly 24 percent of parliamentary seats in LAC. However, the study cautions that such progress has not always translated into improved well being for LAC women, with gaps in equity remaining and a need for more nuanced policies to help women cope with balancing different roles, identities and aspirations. Bachelet said, “Latin American women have come a long way in a relatively short time, with increased access to wealth, education and employment. Now we need to consolidate gains and reduce inequities.”

The study suggests a focus on a second generation of policies. While cautioning that there is no “one size fits all” gender policy agenda for LAC, it suggests three general directions: a change in emphasis from equality to equity; considering an expanded menu of policy options, such as regulations protecting informal unions and their corresponding parental obligations, anti-discrimination laws, modernization of divorce laws, and enhancement of property rights; and placing a premium on policies that emphasize flexibility while helping women balance competing demands, such as regulations on maternity leave and the provisions of child care services, or labor contracts that allow for flexible leave and part-time work. [World Bank Press Release] [Publication: Work and Family: Latin American and Caribbean Women in Search of a New Balance]