The fifteenth Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean held in Buenos Aires, Argentina culminated on Friday, November 11, 2022 with a Buenos Aires Declaration that urges Governments of the region to adopt national regulatory frameworks that ensure the right to care through the implementation of comprehensive care policies and systems from a gender, intersectional, intercultural and human rights perspective.
The four-day Conference was organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in collaboration with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), under the theme: “The care society: a horizon for sustainable recovery with gender equality.”
Thirty (30) countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and other regions were represented including parliamentarians from 15 countries in the region; 17 United Nations agencies; 14 inter-governmental organizations, and more than 750 members of civil society participated in the conference.
A total of 1,168 people participated in the event.
Saint Lucia’s Minister with responsibility for Gender Affairs, Dr. Virginia Albert-Poyotte was represented by the Director of Gender Affairs, Ms. Janey Joseph, who also served as a panelist on the “High-Level Dialogue on the Care Society in Latin America and the Caribbean” on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.
She underscored the usefulness of a care society in recovery from the pandemic and stressed the plight of small island developing states who are classed as middle income to high income countries, barring their ability to access certain types of funding critical for providing basic services to their citizens.
Reporting on Saint Lucia’s participation in the Conference, Ms. Janey Joseph asserts that: “The outcome of this regional conference can cause a paradigm shift in national development planning and promote the recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid domestic and care work and create a more enabling environment for full participation of all members of the society in national sustainable development.”
The Department of Gender Affairs under the guidance of the Minister of the Public Service, Home Affairs, Labour and Gender Affairs, Hon. Dr. Virginia Albert-Poyotte, will coordinate the advocacy for and implementation of the proposed care society.
SOURCE: Department of Gender Affairs. Headline photo: Janey Joseph presenting on High-level Panel on the Care Society in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Charity begins at home. We can not create a caring society when some administration have immunity irrespective of behavior. We the student nurses at SALCC are being emotionally and mentally abused by the administration of the department of nursing. As majority women in the department of nursing it is really emotional to hear women speak of gender equality when we as women are adversely affected by women. The department of nursing at SALCC is a model example of how women (student nurses ) are negatively impacted by other women(administration). How can we create a caring society?
So if you’re a poor person in St Lucia, you won’t be included in the ‘care’ society – “Classed as Middle to high income”??? Very interesting classification… I hope if the “Care Society” agreed to at this forum/talk and no action fest actually ever happens, they will take a close look at mental health in St Lucia too – EVERY kind of mental health condition, and train and educate the appropriate medical staff, as well as the Public along with the multitude of other significant issues on this island.