Chile has historically been one of the most conservative countries in terms of gender rights in Latin America; abortion was only made legal in 2017, and only on three grounds. Get the latest on events, special offers and news from Alborada. The parties also excluded the trade and gender chapter from the dispute settlement provisions that apply to other parts of the trade agreement, and most of the language is hortatory rather than legally binding. Women, Business and the Law is a World Bank Group flagship report measuring gender equality in legislation in 190 economies. The participation of Latin American women in the economic and political life has increased but, in coming years, the region must put an end to gender violence and achieve equal pay. As of 2017. CODE CATEGORY 2014: Legal Age of Marriage: Early Marriage: Parental Authority During Marriage: Parental Authority After Divorce: Inheritance Rights For Widows: Inheritance Rights For Daughters: RESTRICTED PHYSICAL INTEGRITY: They talk about their efforts to improve women's rights in the country, and the added scrutiny and pressure that comes with being a woman on the political stage, Debate to start in July to repeal Augusto Pinochet's 1989 legislation and allow termination when a woman's life is at risk, Your support powers our independent journalism, Available for everyone, funded by readers, Demonstrators suspect anti-abortion activists after three women attacked by masked assailants, A year after Antonia Garros Hermosilla’s death at ex-boyfriend’s home, calls continue for action over fatal form of abuse, Signed a week after the country’s landmark easing of its abortion ban, the bill is expected to allow same-sex couples to adopt children, After fraught debate, senate votes to legalize abortion when a woman’s life is in danger, when a fetus is unviable and when a pregnancy results from rape, Ni Una Menos demonstrations spurred by rape and killing of 16-year-old Lucía Pérez as thousands of protesters call for action on crimes against women, Chile is one of six countries that outlaw abortion under any circumstance. Progress has not been limited to legislation. With a large turnout across the country, 77.6 per cent voted in favour of a new Constitution. Even more, mobilisations and unrest against injustices in different arenas had grown exponentially: while students’ mobilisations for public education trembled the political agenda in 2006 and 2011, the last decade witnessed the emergence of massive protests around gender and indigenous rights, environmental concerns and pension issues. More than 60 percent of Chileans surveyed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are opposed to full equality between women and men, according to a new national report released by the agency on Friday. How to teach children about gender equality By Kelly Wallace , CNN Video by Sandee LaMotte , Bryan Kane and Johnny Hutchens , CNN Updated 6:09 PM EDT, Mon October 2, 2017 Five challenges to achieve gender equality in Latin America. In 2014, China ranked 37th out of 187 countries on the United Nations Development Programme's Gender Inequality Index (GII). Figure 32 shows the links between the Human Development Index 2014 and Global Gender Gap Index 2015 and Figure 33 illustrates the links between the Global Competitiveness Index 2015–2016 and Global Gender Gap … While some legal reforms were introduced in each of these sectors as response to citizens’ claims, the impasse for structural change seemed to be always the same: the burden of the Constitution written during the dictatorship in 1980, and its limitations to adapt to the claims of the majority while concentrating power in a few. Before 2015, Chile had one of the lowest rates of female parliamentary participation in Latin America: 15.8 per cent compared to the average of 27.8 per cent in Latin America. Cancel. In education 58.7 percent of women age 25 and older had completed secondary education, while the counterpart statistic for men was 71.9 percent. Chile and Uruguay reserve the right to set their own policies on gender matters and to finance them subject to their own priorities and budget constraints. © 2021 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Chile's abortion reform in trouble with ruling coalition split, Chile's women in power: Michelle Bachelet and Camila Vallejo – video. Canada and Chile updated a 20-year-old free trade agreement Monday by adding a groundbreaking clause on gender equality to encourage women’s entrepreneurship and employment. In voting for a new Constitution written exclusively by elected citizens, Chile has voted to become the first country to enshrine the equal representation of women and men in the writing of its Constitution.[1]. This institution has taken over from the National Women’s Service (Sernam), which was set up through Law No. We provide a progressive take on the region, offering perspectives rarely found in the mainstream. The protests and the overall claim for Dignidad. Promoting gender diversity in Chile. Chile’s President Bachelet with 24% Approval Ratings after Forest Fires Crisis Chilean Police Raid Odebrecht Offices in Bribes Probe Chilean Ex-President Piñera Denounces “Dirty Campaign” to … On the other hand, a gender perspective implies questioning the politics of representation of diverse identities, knowledges and claims; then, writing a feminist Constitution means also to ensure a mechanism to distribute and negotiate power, ensuring that multiple and often marginalised identities are recognised in decision-making processes in the long term. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. While economic and social policies have for decades led to successful macro level indicators, the model has deepened disparities in terms of distribution, political power and representation. Canada and Chile updated a 20-year-old free trade agreement Monday by adding a groundbreaking clause on gender equality to encourage women’s entrepreneurship and employment. Can Chile's abortion rights reforms overcome staunch religious opposition? Having voted to overhaul the Pinochet-era Constitution, Chile will become the first country in the world to write a Constitution with gender parity. Gender equality will not come quickly in Chile Content type: Expert Briefings Location: CHILE Keywords associated with this article: On 18 October 2019, simmering social unrest in Chile exploded. Many believe last year’s extended protests were made possible by feminist groups, who played a key role both in setting the agenda and in mobilising people on the street. Crucially, 78.99 per cent determined that it should be written entirely by elected citizens, half of whom will be women, rather than both citizens and members of parliament. Chile, the Latin American country that best registers in the ranking of the human development index, occupying the 44th position worldwide, still falters in terms of gender equality, occupying the 72nd position. Last, the state should have specific obligations and duties in order to incorporate gender perspective in public policies, judicial decisions and national legislation. Gender equality is thus fundamental to whether and how societies thrive. This is still lower than the average in the region and far from Nordic countries, that have 42.5 per cent of female representation in parliament. When social mobilisations and violence exploded in October 2019, many figures from the establishment claimed that they ‘didn’t see this coming’; while the statement seems to project some humility, it is hard to comprehend it in a country where the depth of inequalities and the ‘social gap’ had been widely researched and socialised by organisations from diverse sectors, as encapsulated by the report ‘Desiguales‘ (‘Unequals’) published by UNDP in 2017. Among the GII components, China's maternal mortality ratio was 32 out of 100,000 live births. Gender equality is both a fundamental human right and necessary foundation for a sustainable world. Yet, it was the first country in Latin America to establish a Department of Women’s Services in the 1990s which became the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality in 2016. The lives, roles, and rights of women in Chile have gone through many changes over time. 29-Nov-17. One year and one week later, the country was finally given the chance to vote on whether or not to write a new Constitution and, if so, who would be responsible for writing it. The constituent process is an opportunity to expand this approach to all government bodies: the equal representation of men and women in each state branch and institution is also crucial to ensure the inclusion of women and sexual dissidence in processes of decision making. Yet it was the first country in Latin America to establish a Department of Women’s Services in the 1990s which became the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality in 2016. Chile intends to train 300,000 women for highly skilled jobs and empower women entrepreneurs. The two countries said in a statement that they will commit to designing programs that promote equal rights and opportunities for women in business. Chile creates Ministry of Woman and Gender Equality. Even if the outcome of the Constitution is unknown, the decision to vote for gender parity of those writing the Constitution is an enormous win for Chile, and a model for democratic politics of representation and parity participation around the world. [2] Even if similar processes in other countries have ensured minimum quotas for women as candidates and elected representatives, this will be the first case in which the final composition of the body in charge of writing the new Constitution will be actually composed by 50 per cent women. While significant in itself, the overwhelming triumph for writing a new Constitution is as telling as the nature of the politics of representation of the body that will write it up. Formal equality has proven to be completely insufficient in order to really guarantee women’s and sexual diversity rights. For a complete analysis of the territorial distribution of the results, see ‘Cartografías del apruebo: notas de trabajo‘. [update] , the global movement for gender equality has not incorporated the proposition of genders besides women and men, or gender identities outside of the gender … The 2016 feminist protests of ‘Ni Una Menos‘ (‘Not one [woman] less’), in which thousands of women in Chile and across Latin America marched to demand the end of gender violence, is also seen to have prepared the ground for last year’s mobilisations. The two countries said in a statement that they will commit to designing programs that promote equal rights and opportunities for women in business. The banner was subsequently displayed this year in the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. The protests were framed, in broad terms, as a response to the failure of the neoliberal system. When it comes to women’s legal rights and economic opportunities, Chile performs better than the global average (75.2) and has shown significant progress over time. Triple stabbing at Chile abortion rights rally sparks outcry, Chilean mother who fears daughter was driven to suicide demands law change, 'Essential rights': Chile's President Bachelet introduces gay marriage bill, 'A triumph of reason': Chile approves landmark bill to ease abortion ban, Endgame nears in Chile president's fight to temper draconian abortion ban, Chile passes bill to legalize abortion in certain cases, Argentina's women joined across South America in marches against violence. Keep up-to-date with the latest Alborada news and events. Led by students in response to Metro ticket price rises by 30 pesos, protests spread across the country, exposing deep inequalities and systemic injustice. Unsurprisingly, the demand for a new Constitution had been growing as a significant claim by civil society groups and new political forces (who in 2013 articulated the campaign #MarcaAC), and also by authorities that led President Michelle Bachelet (2014-2018) to launch a first attempt of re-writing a democratic Constitution through self-organised local assemblies (for an assessment of that process, see here). 24 February 2021 The Contribution of Social Dialogue to Gender Equality. Gender equality is a question of fundamental human rights, and a desirable goal in and of itself, but also a driver of corporate performance. In terms of gender equality, the opportunities in the Constitution for social change are immense, both in the recognition of women in decision-making spaces, as in the potential for a gender approach to the creation of the Constitution. Debt Justice Is Our Demand, Ecuador’s Election Coverage: Ignoring Repression and Dirty Tricks, Elections in Ecuador: The Fight against Neoliberalism. Figure 31 demonstrates the relationship between GDP per capita and the Global Gender Gap Index 2015. Triple stabbing at Chile abortion rights rally sparks outcry. AFP, Saturday 28 Feb 2015. It speaks to what … Furthermore, Chile has subscribed and ratified international treaties with commitments to ensure several women’s rights, and the way in which the legal system includes them to then apply them by national courts, is also a matter of the constituent discussion. Home. You're signed out. A new Constitution to address entrenched social inequalities. Santiago, Chile, February 28, 2018 – More than 500 people from 38 countries committed themselves to the "Call to Action of Chile", wrapping up the two-day 4th Forum Global Business for Gender Equality: The future of work in the 2030 Agenda here today. [1] Additional to these three districts (Las Condes, Lo Barnechea, Vitacura), there were another two small districts where the option against the new Constitution won (Antártica and Colchane, both of which are rural areas with military bases), making it to a total of 5 out of the 346 districts of the country. Gender. The actual text in the final agreement will be a result of negotiations between the EU and Chile… International IDEA and the UNDP created an important forum on 3 June 2019 for discussing gender quotas in Chile by holding the seminar “Law on gender quotas in the elections for regional governors and council members, mayors, and local council members.” The event was held in the Reading Room of the Chamber of Deputies in the former National Congress. ‘No eran 30 pesos, eran 30 años’ (‘It wasn’t 30 pesos, it was 30 years’) became a mobilising slogan for protesters that claimed several demands to address multifold inequalities experienced by the majority of people. The consequent human rights violations and police brutality that followed the protests only deepened the sense of injustice. Gender and Education for All: The Leap to Equality Gender parity and equality in Chile: a case study Beatrice Avalos 2003 This paper was commissioned by the Education for All Global Monitoring Skip to main content. Although the equal participation of women and men in the Constitutional convention alone does not guarantee feminist outcomes and the protection of women’s rights, particularly considering the wide diversity of age, class, ethnicity and political beliefs of the women involved, this remains a significant step towards improving gender representation in the country. This victory has already set a precedent for representation and inclusion of other groups, which has been taken forward by a bill to include additional reserved seats for indigenous peoples in the writing of the Constitution, currently being debated in parliament. Alborada is an independent voice on Latin American politics, media and culture. 20 January 2021 Strengthening Gender Measures and Data in the COVID-19 Era: An urgent need for change. During Michelle Bachelet governments (2006-2010; 2014-2018), many progressive gender bills were put forward, such as the newly-passed abortion law. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. On the piece Why gender equality by numbers will never measure up, Natalia Cardona wrote: Thank you for writing this article! Looking back, what all these mobilisations had in common was a call for what the 2019 mobilisation coined as ‘dignity’. On the one hand, feminist demands involve expanding rights that have been historically made invisible, such as domestic and reproductive labour, sexual and reproductive rights, and the prohibition of discrimination; additionally to incorporate gender perspective to rights that are already in the constitution, such as health care, education and so on. Women's rights and gender equality + Chile . To continue our work we need your support. Project Title: Religion, Politics and Gender Equality No. But the demand wasn’t just for any new Constitution, or any constituent process. Significant progress has been made towards gender equality and women's empowerment in the past 15 years, yet women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence worldwide. March 07, 2016. EFESantiago 3 Jun 2016. 15.8 per cent compared to the average of 27.8 per cent in Latin America, Nordic countries, that have 42.5 per cent of female representation in parliament, Cartografías del apruebo: notas de trabajo, ‘Facts and figures: Leadership and political participation’, Ignacia Ossul Vermehren, Lieta Vivaldi and Camila Cociña, Indestructible Podcast #3: Colombia’s Struggle for Peace, Alborada Online: Reflections on the MAS’ Election Victory in Bolivia, The G20 Is Gathering. In May 2018, the ‘Chilean feminist revolution‘ took place. Chile has historically been one of the most conservative countries in terms of gender rights in Latin America; abortion was only made legal in 2017, and only on three grounds. The outcome of the plebiscite directly reflects the demands of feminist groups for more representation and parity in political participation in decision-making spaces. 01 March 2021 Government laws and policies for gender equality. 19.023, published on January 3, 1991, to promote equality of opportunity for men and women. Many of the most enduring, widely-shared and internationally recognised images of the protests were based in feminist demonstartions, whether through the performances of ‘Un violador en tu camino’ (‘A Rapist in Your Path’) by art collective ‘Las Tesis’ and the giant textile banner ‘Borda sus Ojos‘ in which women from across the country embroidered an eye to denounce police brutality implicated in 359 recorded eye injuries. It was only after the introduction of a new law on gender quotas for 40 per cent of the candidates, that the percentage of elected women increased to 23 per cent. Chile endorses women’s leadership in politics and aims for women to direct 40 per cent of public enterprises by 2018. This document contains an EU proposal for Trade and Gender Equality provisions of a possible modernised EU-Chile Association Agreement. It began in universities with demands for equal rights in higher education, to stop sexual assault and to incorporate feminist theories and authors to the syllabus. From a social justice perspective, the distribution aspect of inequality was only one of the elements at stake: claims for representation and parity participation have been central to all of them. These demands expanded later to different social inequalities caused by patriarchy and neoliberalism that were an important precedent to feminist demands from October 2019 onwards. The results were overwhelming. How and why did a mobilisation driven against inequalities find an answer in a claim for a constituent process? Leer en español: Chile lídera en desarrollo humano, pero persiste la inequidad de género. But on Tuesday, its congress will debate whether to allow exceptions in extreme cases, Bill would allow abortion in cases of rape, unviability or danger to mother’s life but fewer than a third of Christian Democrats in congress fully back reform. The demands for change were so fundamental, wide-reaching and varied that less than a month after the beginning of the protests the political establishment agreed on setting up a route map to write a new Constitution through a democratic process.