CAF approves USD 80 million to promote gender equality and social inclusion in Honduras

The Board of Directors of CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, formed by the ministers of economy and finance, presidents of central banks and high economic authorities of the shareholder countries, approved the first credit to the Republic of Honduras after its incorporation to the institution as the twenty-first shareholder country in November 2023, with an operation for USD 80 million for the 'Program to promote gender equality and social inclusion'.

The program is based on a public policy matrix, an instrument agreed with the Ministry of Finance in coordination with the Ministry of Women and the Ministry of Social Development, to recognize and support policies and regulatory and institutional changes for the empowerment of women, the inclusion of people with disabilities, and the development of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples. In order to further contribute to the sustainability of the program, CAF attaches non-reimbursable technical cooperation to this initiative.

“We are very pleased to contribute to the sustainable development of Honduras with this first loan focused on promoting gender equality and social inclusion. For more than 50 years we have supported countries in the region to improve the quality of life of people and their capabilities, contributing to the construction of more egalitarian and inclusive societies, and these good practices are what we are making available to the Honduran population. In CAF they have an unconditional ally for the well-being of the population and sustainable and inclusive growth,” said Sergio Diaz-Granados, CAF's executive president.

This operation is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, as it recognizes policies and laws in favor of women; SDG 1 on ending poverty in all its forms; and SDG 17 on revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development, by mobilizing resources from other sources.

At CAF's Board of Directors, humanitarian aid was also signed for Barbados, Ecuador and Honduras, reflecting the institution's agility to support its member countries in dealing with the effects of natural disasters. In the case of Honduras, USD 250,000 in emergency humanitarian aid to mitigate the damage caused by the fire at the Roatán Hospital, which will help ensure the continuity of medical services to the affected population.

This program is the first credit operation following Honduras' incorporation as a CAF Member Country. In November 2023, the Republic of Honduras met all the conditions approved by the Assembly of Shareholders and became the twenty-first shareholder country of the multilateral organization, with which the country seeks to strengthen its presence in the region, diversify its sources of financing, access resources under favorable financial conditions, as well as technical assistance resources and knowledge products that will improve the welfare of the population and the country's competitiveness.