OAS - Organization of American States

Purpose

The project aims to increase women’s political representation and participation in public decision-making, to empower and strengthen the rights of women and girls, and to reduce the gender gap in leadership through increased engagement and coordination of Inter-American and United Nations (UN) institutions, and regional women's rights organizations. The goals of the Women's Empowerment Task Force for Latin America and the Caribbean are to: (1) collectively supporting member states in achieving their common goals related to women’s empowerment and leadership through enhanced cooperation; (2) ensuring that institutional efforts are complementary; (3) filling key policy and programming gaps through evidence-based collaboration, and potentially leveraging funding for these gaps; (4) amplifying existing initiatives and making them more accessible to marginalized groups, including Indigenous, Afro-descendant, rural, young and LGBTI women; and (5) establishing a coordinated body of knowledge on women’s leadership in the region, and reporting on its accomplishments at the 2021 Summit of the Americas. Beneficiaries include the stakeholders participating in Task Force activities such as representatives from member states, women’s rights organizations, academic and research institutions, and the private sector. Indirect beneficiaries include women who participate in leadership projects generated because of the work of the Task Force.