In a press release, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) said the grant comes from the new IDB Multidonor Gender and Diversity Fund created in May. The project, titled “New Horizons: Toward Increased Political Participation by Women,” will finance a variety of initiatives over a three-year period in order to achieve this goal in Latin America, and particularly among Afro-descendents and Indigenous women.
The IDB said it approved the project at a time when women have gained access to the region’s highest political posts. However, one of its recent studies found that despite advances gender equality is far from reality and in particular, wide salary gaps have been found between men and woman as well as among the region’s ethnic groups. Also, the growing number of women in public positions does not include indigenous or Afro-descended women, even in countries where these groups represent a substantial portion of the population.
Public calls for projects will be announced to select and fund programmes that best promote gender equality and women’s access to politics. “The grant will also finance initiatives to help create exchange networks; facilitate the transfer of ideas, strategies and resources; and develop awareness of why it is important to participate in decision-making,” the release said.
In addition, the funds will finance academic research about women’s leadership, modernization of the State and mechanisms to strengthen women’s leadership and participation though public policy and multilateral banking operations.
