On 10 March, the side event to CSW 69, "Beijing+30: Transforming Financial Architectures for Gender Equality: Pathways to Inclusive and Prosperous Societies in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean," was held. The event brought together representatives from governments, financial institutions, multilateral organisations, and civil society in a context where challenges in financing gender equality are becoming increasingly evident.
In his opening remarks, Alberto Brunori, Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation, highlighted progress in legal frameworks, political representation, and the recognition of women's rights in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean, while also pointing out the persistence of structural challenges and gaps between state commitments and their effective implementation.
During the keynote session, Leire Pajín, Member of the European Parliament and Founder of the EU-LAC WIN Network, and Michelle Muschett, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator, and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, addressed the progress and challenges of financing for gender equality.
Pajín warned that at a time when anti-women’s rights movements are gaining momentum, it is more crucial than ever to unite voices and build a defensive front to prevent regression. Meanwhile, Muschett affirmed that inclusive and prosperous societies can only be built through gender equality and emphasised that Latin America, the Caribbean, and the European Union can serve as a model and reference for the world in this process, thanks to their democratic vocation and shared focus on multilateralism.
Following the keynote session, discussions continued with a series of thematic roundtables. The first roundtable gathered government representatives from both regions, including Citlalli Hernández, Secretary for Women of Mexico; Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Minister of Justice of Latvia; Antonia Orellana, Minister for Women and Gender Equality of Chile; Aina Calvo, Secretary of State for Equality and Gender Violence of Spain; and Támara Ospina, Deputy Minister for Women of Colombia.
The discussion focused on strategies to integrate a gender-sensitive approach into public policies, highlighting the challenge posed by shrinking fiscal spaces. Participants also stressed the importance of cooperation and dialogue to prevent setbacks in human rights.
The second roundtable explored innovative financing mechanisms led by banks and feminist funds. Panellists included Maria Caridad Araujo, Head of the Gender and Diversity Division at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); Barbara Auricchio, Senior Executive at the Gender Directorate of CAF – Development Bank of Latin America; Magdalena Pocheć, Representative of FemFund in Poland; Amalia Fischer, Co-founder of ELAS+ Women’s Fund in Brazil; and Ana Güezmes, Head of the Gender Affairs Division at ECLAC.
Speakers shared their experiences on how financing programmes have positively impacted women’s lives and underscored the need to diversify and strengthen funding sources to achieve SDG 5 (Gender Equality). The discussion also highlighted the importance of bridging gender gaps through intentional lending strategies focused on achieving clearly defined goals, backed by intersectional approaches and results-based financing models. Moreover, panellists stressed the transformative potential of financing strategies in redistributing power and fostering systemic change.
The final roundtable brought together representatives of multilateral and regional entities to analyse the impact of the geopolitical context on EU-LAC cooperation. Speakers included Chiara Adamo, Head of Unit for Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Democratic Governance at the European Commission; Maruša Gortnar, Head of the Research and Policy Support Unit at the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE); and María-Noel Vaeza, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at UN Women.
During the discussion, participants emphasised the pressing need to invest in policies that strengthen gender equality, particularly in a context where state budgets are under pressure. They stressed that increasing investment in gender equality is essential not only for economic growth but also for reducing gender-based violence.
Closing the session, María-Noel Vaeza underscored the importance of ensuring that civil society and the private sector drive political will towards gender equality and greater investment in women. She also reinforced that this agenda "is not just for us, but for all of society."
