Ecuador and UN Women work together to guarantee the rights of women and girls

Meeting between Anita Bhatia and Guillermo Lasso Photo: UN Women / Johanna Alarcón

Working together to strengthen women's economic empowerment, and financial innovation processes with a gender approach as well as to prevent violence against women and girls to achieve the eradication of femicide in Ecuador is the commitment made by Guillermo Lasso and UN Women, represented by Anita Bhatia in the bilateral meeting held on June 11 in the country.

These commitments were acquired in the framework of the official visit of the United Nations Under-Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, Anita Bhatia. During this visit, she held bilateral meetings with high-ranking authorities of the presidential cabinet, expressing UN Women's interest in supporting Ecuador in the promotion of public policies for the elimination of gender-based violence.

In addition to meeting with the President, Anita Bhatia spoke with Foreign Minister, Mauricio Montalvo, about the joint work between UN Women and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the consolidation of a cooperation agenda that prioritizes gender equality. She also met with Bernarda Ordoñez, representative of the Secretariat for Human Rights. During this meeting, both institutions committed to work together to promote gender equality through women's economic empowerment, financial innovation and zero femicide.

She also held meetings with the Minister of Finance, Simón Cueva, and the Minister of Production, Julio José Prado. Both representatives emphasized their commitment to achieve gender equality through the economic empowerment of women and to promote the gender approach in the construction of the country's productive and competitiveness agenda.

During her visit, Anita Bhatia visited the facilities of "La Casa de la Mujer" and highlighted the importance of this shelter in Quito to provide comprehensive assistance to women survivors of violence. Finally, she met with the Gender Roundtable of International Cooperation (MEGECI) where she stressed the importance of articulating efforts to multiply the results in the area of gender equality and women's empowerment.

In this way, UN Women reaffirms its commitment to support the government in the development and strengthening of a gender equality agenda that enhances a series of public policies to guarantee and protect the rights of women and girls in Ecuador.