Latin American and Caribbean feminist networks met to consolidate their position regarding gender reforms in the United Nations and on the possible creation of a new UN agency devoted to women. What are their concerns, recommendations, and strategies?

Feminist networks from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Montevideo, Uruguay on March 29 to 31 to debate and put forward a consolidated position about gender reforms in the United Nations, including the possibilities and potentials of a new UN agency for women. This proposed new agency will consolidate the three already-established units of the UN dealing with women and gender issues. It will have a substantially increased budget and additional staff for its work at global and country levels.

Organised by the Network for Popular Education between Women (REPEM) and the Marcosur Feminist Articulation (AFM), the regional meeting cemented the Latin American and Caribbean position regarding UN gender reforms.

After much debate, the region’s feminists finalised the “Declaration of Latin American and Caribbean Feminists regarding UN and a possible new agency for women.” Below is an excerpt from the declaration:

“When we speak about United Nations, we refer not only to the global structures, but also to the regional ones. In spite of the fact that the regional spaces have been living spaces that had nurtured a propitious ground to broaden the regional regulation and create a level of regional gender institutionalism, they are also spaces where many states offer resistance to the fulfilment of the assumed international commitments. Hence, the importance of strengthening the regional levels and generating mechanisms for the governments of the countries to comply effectively with the established regulations.”

“In this process, alliances with the feminists of other regions are essential, on account of both the richness provided by the different viewpoints for the elaboration of more complex global agendas and practices, and the force of a global feminist articulation.”

The regional meeting was held in part as a follow-up to the achievements reached by feminists, feminist movements, and non-government organisations at the 51st session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) last February 26 to March 9.

Full text of the Declaration is available at <www.repem.org.uy/node/188>.

For organisations who want to sign the statement, contact REPEM at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or AFM at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Related articles:
“UN Women Commission Meeting centres on girl-child rights” in we! February 2007, No. 2 
“Proposed centralised women's agency at UN needs support” in we! December 2006 
“UN Panel calls for more solid gender architecture” in we! November 2006, No. 1 

Sources:
“Feminists in Latin America and the Caribbean debated on U.N. Reform: 'We Want More'” from Network of Popular Education Between Women (REPEM), posted on April 2007, <http://www.repem.org.uy/node/188>.
“Gender Equality Architecture and UN reform: actions to take” from Women in Development Europe (WIDE), posted on April 2007, <http://www.wide-network.org/index.jsp?id=267>.
“Now A new U.N. agency? Latin American feminists hold debate” from Choike, posted on February 12, 2007, <http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/5338.html>.