Gender table for international cooperation launched in Panama - MEGECIPAN
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In an event held on December 14, 2020, with the support of UN Women, the Embassy of Canada in Panama, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Panama, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Social Development of the Republic of Panama, the Gender Roundtable of International Cooperation in Panama (MEGECIPAN) was established.
This platform will strengthen collaboration between the international community and the National Government to more effectively influence dialogue, policies and actions that positively impact gender equality and the empowerment of Panamanian women and girls, while achieving the exchange of good practices, effective use of resources and knowledge management.
Panama, despite being considered an upper-middle income country, is one of the countries that faces the greatest inequalities in the Latin American region, disproportionately affecting women because they are in the front line of response and in the economic activities most vulnerable to crises.
The National Government foresees the multiple challenges that are synthesized in the inequalities that affect the population, especially the most vulnerable people. These issues were considered in the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan.
The government has set out to develop economic and social strategies to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. In addition, it has proposed the need to increase public investment in order to improve infrastructure and achieve greater technological development, reflected in education, health and the social sector to improve the population’s quality of life, without neglecting the protection of the environment, biodiversity, the fight against climate change, which will provide the natural resources necessary for the development of the country and the welfare of the population and fulfill the commitment pledged to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Studies by the Inter-American Development Bank estimate that as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis in Panama approximately between 78,000 and 218,000 formal jobs will be lost. This will result in a 61% increase in informality (15 points above the current level). With a greater negative impact on women, since they are employed in the economic activities of first line of response to the COVID-19, exposing them to greater risk of contagion (76%); as well as in the activities with high negative impact such as commerce, hotel and restaurant businesses and paid domestic employment (46.5%).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social Development and the National Women's Institute are strategic partners in this initiative, which is supported by the Canadian Embassy and the Netherlands Embassy. MEGECIPAN will have a plenary and will function through Thematic Working Groups and a Technical Secretariat led by UN Women.