Promoting equal democracy through regional dialogue

This high-level meeting provided a space for exchange between leading organizations, international organizations, civil society organizations, members of academia, government representatives, and electoral authorities. Its main objective was to obtain input to strengthen the Atenea Initiative in a new edition, adapting it to the particularities of the participating countries and consolidating its impact in the region.

The Atenea Initiative seeks to strengthen equal access, equal conditions, and guarantees for the full and effective exercise of women's political rights in Latin America. In this way, it contributes directly to closing gender gaps and supports states in consolidating parity democracy.

The Atenea project works around four pillars: Information, Action, Communication, and Training. Through the Political Parity Index (PPI), it has generated timely information, resulting in a series of recommendations that have promoted institutional improvement actions, regional dialogue, and the implementation of action plans.

Despite considerable progress in women's political representation in recent decades in Latin America and the Caribbean, significant challenges remain. The dialogue identified the increase and intensification of political violence against women as a central concern. This phenomenon is part of a context of democratic and gender setbacks at the global and regional levels, negatively impacting women's access to and exercise of political power in state institutions, local governments, and political parties.

"At International IDEA, we welcome the initiative to update the Political Parity Index as a key tool for highlighting the progress and challenges in women's political participation in Latin America. As founding partners of ATENEA, we reaffirm our commitment to a more inclusive and equal democracy, contributing our experience in gender and governance to strengthen this initiative throughout the region," said Marcela Ríos Tobar, International IDEA's regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Within the framework of this dialogue, the necessary inputs were gathered to update the IPP to current challenges and issues. This is essential to consolidate a new phase of the initiative that effectively responds to current challenges and updates the Political Participation Index (IPP).

The inaugural event was attended by: Marcela Ríos Tobar, Regional Director of International IDEA; Guillermina Martín, leader of the UNDP Gender Team for Latin America and the Caribbean; and María Noel Vaeza, Regional Director of UN Women, who participated virtually. The Spanish Ambassador to Panama, Guzmán Palacios Fernández, was also present.

International IDEA, as a founding partner of the Atenea es Paridad initiative, has played an essential role since its inception in the design, implementation, and monitoring of this proposal. Its experience and in-depth knowledge of democracy and gender are key strategic contributions to advancing toward a more equal democracy in Latin America.