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News > Latin America

UN: Gender Inequality Has Created a Panama for Men, not Women

  • Panamanian Women wear traditional “Pollera” clothes in the annual Thousand Polleras parade in Las Tablas, in the province of Los Santos Jan. 10, 2015.

    Panamanian Women wear traditional “Pollera” clothes in the annual Thousand Polleras parade in Las Tablas, in the province of Los Santos Jan. 10, 2015. | Photo: Reuters

Published 16 November 2015
Opinion

Official figures show the Central American nation has taken a step backward in gender equality since 2009.

Access to basic rights such as health, education and employment is increasingly difficult for women in Panama, a country with a growing gender inequality, the United Nations Development Program said Monday.

Martin Santiago, UNDP resident representative in Panama, said lack of empowerment, opportunities and poor access to the labor market have created a "Panama for men and not for women."

IN DEPTH: Women Resist

According to the latest UNDP report, the Central American nation has taken a step-back in gender equality since 2009 measured by maternal mortality, teen pregnancy, education, parliamentary seats occupied by women and labor force statistics.

In 2014, Santiago says, almost 68 percent of Panamian men had jobs, while only 42 percent of women were employed. Part of this can be attributed to the persistant culture of women as housewives.

RELATED: Latin America Closes the Gap on Economic Gender Inequality

However, Panamanian women are not alone, according to the latest report by U.N. Women, as women participate in labor markets on an unequal basis with men worldwide. In 2013, the global employment-to-population ratio for men stood at 72 percent versus 47 percent for women.

RELATED: Strides in Gender Equality Recognized in Ecuador

In addition, women are globally paid less than men, in most countries they earn on average only 60 to 75 percent of men’s wages and gender inequalities in time use are still large and persistent in all countries as well.

In the United States (click to enlarge):

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