Ministry of Women's Affairs presents Economic Agenda for Rural Women supported by CAF and UNDP

The AEMR contains strategic lines on livelihoods, employability, social security, care, participation in decision-making, social welfare, economic autonomy, education, job training, natural resources, communication and technology, among other issues, as the claims of rural women about their problems, needs and life expectancies.

The document is the result of an information analysis process on global, regional and national agreements and conventions, and consultations with more than 300 women leaders from 57 districts in the 10 provinces and 25 townships and indigenous territories. The Agenda was developed jointly with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and CAF—development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean—, endorsed by the Center for Social Development Studies Foundation (CEDES).

The AEMR was also validated with nationwide institutional stakeholders including: ministries, autonomous and semi-autonomous agencies and local governments. Rural and indigenous women leaders from different regions and townships also participated.

The AEMR emerges as a critical tool to channel inter-institutional and intersectoral policies and actions aimed at improving the living conditions of women by guaranteeing their rights and equal opportunities.

This landmark document is proof of a joint and driven commitment to move towards a more equal and just future in Panama.

"The AEMR is an instrument for analysis and management of local, regional and national policies, and will allow government agencies to gear institutional action towards social justice, dismantling inequalities and ensuring rural women access to their rights," said Women's Affairs Minister Juana Herrera.

For UNDP Panama Resident Representative María del Carmen Sacasa, the AEMR is a roadmap that will build capacities and improve institutional offerings to meet the needs of women in their territories, thus ensuring their inclusion and empowerment, with a focus on human rights.

Furthermore CAF's representative in Panama Lucía Meza noted that "this agenda calls for a collective commitment to bridging gender gaps and tearing down the various inequality and exclusion factors that rural women continue to face in their territories."