On International Women's Day we join the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, in commemorating the fight for equality for women and girls around the world and the progress made.
Women and girls have broken down stereotypes and moved towards a society that allows them to access better opportunities.
These achievements would not have been possible without greater visibility and social awareness of the gaps and an investment in equality policies.
Despite this, obstacles such as discrimination and violence persist at a global level.
The Secretary-General emphasizes the need to invest in programs to end violence against women and boost women's inclusion and leadership in economies.
He tells us that “this depends on enabling financing for sustainable development so that countries have funds to invest in women and girls.”
Argentina has made great progress in the rights of women and girls, but efforts are still required, especially with respect to women in more vulnerable situations such as indigenous peoples, people with disabilities and older adults.
The country has disaggregated data, advanced regulatory frameworks and innovative public policies;
The challenge is to accelerate its implementation through financial, technical and human resources.
In Argentina, according to INDEC data, women continue to have a lower employment rate (49.1%) than men (66.9%) and young women under 29 years of age face 12.7% unemployment. almost triple that of those between 30 and 64 years old (4.4%).
The data show regressions that have worsened due to economic crises, the Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts and human mobility.
Therefore, it is crucial to continue working to eliminate stereotypes and discrimination based on gender and all forms of violence against women and girls, especially the most extreme expression - in 2022, according to data from the Supreme Court of the Nation, 252 were registered. victims of femicides in Argentina, and the global trend is that they do not decrease;
promote their participation in leadership spaces and promote policies that allow them to study and work in the labor sectors that offer more opportunities, such as in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
In Argentina, there are more women researchers than men (59.5% vs 45.5%) but they are still underrepresented at the highest levels and areas such as engineering and technology, where only 8.1% are women compared to almost twice as many. of men (16.9%).
Likewise, care is a strategic sector for the economy and job creation.
In 2022 they represented 16.8% of Argentina's Gross Domestic Product, a percentage higher than that of commerce and industry.
It is noteworthy that 70.2% of care tasks are performed by women.
Faced with these challenges, on International Women's Day, we call for action to continue advancing women's rights and accelerating equality.
To achieve this, the country must work together - the State, the private sector, academia, civil society and the media -, taking advantage of the potential of women to boost the economy and development.
This is important since the poverty, inequality and violence faced by women and girls affect the well-being of the country.
From the United Nations System we reiterate our commitment to support these efforts for the benefit of all of society.
Claudia Mojica is Coordinator, UN Argentina. Magdalena Furtado is Officer in Charge of UN Women in Argentina