United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC)
Topic A: Assessing the Effects of Industrialization on Gender Inequality
Unequal pay is a common issue that women face across the globe, and at different degrees. The cultural gender roles of Latin american and Caribbean women as the foundation of maintaining family life has played a pivotal role in establishing the present-day gender pay gap. The cultural role of women results in businesses to view the entitlement to paid maternity as an economically “inefficient” option, and hence reducing cost by lowering wages for women or reluctance to hire women. This leads women to dedicate much more time to unpaid work compared to men without materialistic compensation, while more males participate in paid work to provide for the households.
Unequal pay has negative socioeconomic implications that can begin by the favorability of men over women in employment which discourages the involvement of women in the workforce. This reduces the availability of employees across the economy and does not help exhaust the true economic potential a nation has. Additionally, gender bias does not allow for occupation to be allotted to the person most appropriate and due to biases against women. Unequal pay can destabilize families who are dependent on the woman being the materialistic provider and families who cannot depend on the man being the only provider, and drive children into a cycle of poverty and poor education. Progress towards gender equality, is not only a human right, but a prerequisite to economic prosperity.
Greater participation of women in the workforce pursues gender equity goals, as established in the UN’s Sustainable Development target (SD5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls).
For this issue, delegates are expected to propose effective actions that countries in the region can/should pursue to enhance women's access to paid opportunities, and the narrowing of gender pay gaps which is crucial for growth, equality and poverty reduction in the region.
Topic B: Reviewing the Necessity of Citizen Security Privatization in the Region
Latin American and Caribbean societies are among the most violent on Earth. With an increase in illegal activities, a higher demand for citizen security develops, as crime rates continue to increase and range from muggings to femicides. Unsuitably in recent years, governments have not been able to supply such security and safety to citizens, omitting the responsibility. Consequently, “security and safety” was taken up as an opportunity for businessmen, and instituted a new industry in the region. Private citizen security is growing in acknowledgment in the region, where security frameworks are guaranteeing citizen rights by taking upon tasks such as police moonlighting, community policing units, protecting gated communities, etc. Private entities have also expanded the focus of security measures to encompass issues within the current public system, and have encouraged reformations of law enforcement, criminal justice, and penal systems. Statistically, the outcomes of private citizen security efforts show promising results; however, their effectiveness is still short in supply as the industry is still growing. Plus, public outrage regarding the lack of government commitment to promote citizen security has been a struggle, as socially, citizens have not been entirely accepting of the new norm (social instability). The lack of government commitment may also result in the lack of credibility of other public institutions, which may negatively impact democratic governance (political instability). Additionally, private citizen security inflates costs for poorer suburbs, leaving behind an ethical dilemma (does one have to pay for his or her safety *a basic human right* ?) Thus, it is important for delegates to discuss: to what extent should private entities be involved in ensuring security in the region?