Women In Latin America: resilience in the face of multidimensional crisis

The document examines the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and environmental crises on women in Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically focusing on socioeconomic gaps, reproductive health, and water scarcity. Through case studies in Puebla (Mexico) and the Valparaíso Region (Chile), it argues for a three-dimensional approach to resilience—community, institutional, and policy-based—to ensure that decarbonization and recovery processes are inclusive and gender-just.

• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated structural gender inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean, leading to a significant increase in poverty and unemployment for women. By 2021, the femininity index of poverty was 116 and extreme poverty was 118.3, compared to 113.9 and 115.5 in 2019. Female unemployment rose from 9.5% in 2019 to 12% in 2020, while male unemployment rose from 6.8% to 9% in the same period.
• Pandemic-related disruptions severely impacted women's sexual and reproductive health services in Latin America and the Caribbean. In early 2021, 64% of countries reported interruptions in family planning and contraceptive services, with some seeing a decrease of 50% or more. In Mexico, there was a 41.6% drop in family planning consultations for adolescents between 2019 and 2020.
• In Puebla, Mexico, the lack of institutional resilience led to the suspension of the National Strategy for the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy (ENAPEA) during the pandemic as resources were redirected to vaccines. This contributed to high pregnancy rates, with Puebla registering 75.61 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in 2021.
• Community-led initiatives in Chile's Valparaíso Region demonstrate that pre-existing social networks enhance resilience. In Concón, the organization Patrimonio Vivo Costa (PAVIC) transitioned from pandemic aid to creating the first open-access community vegetable garden for women to promote agroecology and social encounter. In Petorca, the 'Forming cooperative and resilient leaders for water' project provided tools for domestic water efficiency, such as dry toilets, to combat severe water scarcity.
• The document identifies that women's participation in leadership roles, such as water management in Petorca, is hindered by the 'double working day' and the unequal distribution of care work. It recommends implementing public caregiving systems and awareness campaigns to facilitate female leadership.
• To achieve a 'just transition' and institutional resilience, the document argues for the mandatory use of gender-disaggregated data, gender-responsive budgeting, and the inclusion of marginalized groups—including indigenous and older women—in the design of public policies.

APA

Guerrero, R., Valencia, B., & Fernández, V. (2023). Women In Latin America: resilience in the face of multidimensional crisis. Transforma. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03_police-brief_mujeres-america-latina_ingles.pdf

Chicago

Guerrero, Rodrigo, Berenice Valencia, and Valentina Fernández. Women In Latin America: resilience in the face of multidimensional crisis. Transforma, 2023. https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03_police-brief_mujeres-america-latina_ingles.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Guerrero |first1=Rodrigo |last2=Valencia |first2=Berenice |last3=Fernández |first3=Valentina |title=Women In Latin America: resilience in the face of multidimensional crisis |publisher=Transforma |date=2023 |url=https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03_police-brief_mujeres-america-latina_ingles.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{guerrero2023women, author = {Guerrero, Rodrigo and Valencia, Berenice and Fernández, Valentina}, title = {{Women In Latin America: resilience in the face of multidimensional crisis}}, institution = {Transforma}, year = {2023}, url = {https://transforma.global/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/03_police-brief_mujeres-america-latina_ingles.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }