Women’s Ministry and Human Rights Undersecretary sign a partnership with UN Women to prevent violence against women in social crisis situations

This morning, Women and Gender Equity Minister Isabel Plá and Human Rights Undersecretary Lorena Recabarren signed a cooperation agreement with UN Women, which is led in Chile by María Inés Salamanca. The agreement aims to strengthen the defense of women’s rights and prevent violence in the context of social crises.

The partnership seeks to generate a work plan that effectively addresses the effects of the current social situation in Chile on the lives of women, and the impact of violence in crisis situations.

Minister Isabel Plá said “No one can deny that Chile has changed. The events of recent weeks have demonstrated, now more than ever, that women remain vulnerable. They are the most impacted by the low pensions that as a Government we are seeking to correct. They are vulnerable because alterations in public order and destruction threaten the daily efforts of many working women. However, they are also vulnerable because, according to public complaints, there are, unfortunately, women and girls whose rights have been violated.”

Minister Plá went on to express gratitude for the agreement, “we thank UN Women for their ongoing support for the mission of the Women and Gender Equity Ministry.  Their experience around the world will enable us to better defend all women.”

María Inés Salamanca, Coordinator of the UN Women Office in Chile, emphasized the importance of “collaborating with the State of Chile in this crisis context and helping encourage dialog so that the voices of women are included in the search for solutions and the achievement of peace.”

She added that the agreement includes a “technical assistance agenda involving UN Women and international experts who will contribute to improving the system, the support network, the efforts to prevent gender violence in crisis contexts and the protection of women’s human rights.”

Human Rights Undersecretary Lorena Recabarren said the agreement represents “the links and coordination that we have had with those entities and ministries concerned with and charged with protecting the promotion of human rights. This includes the Women and Gender Equity Ministry with whom we have been working on actions for the past month.”

The unprecedented agreement includes a series of measures, including: training on gender and human rights for the forces of public order and security; strengthening police action protocols, especially regarding women; and the exchange of international experience and best practices related to the secondary effects of crises on women.

Furthermore, the agreement includes the immediate arrival of a UN Women technical mission to work with and advise the Women and Gender Equity Service (SERNAMEG) Centers with special attention paid to moments of crisis, violence prevention and protecting affected women.

Finally, social leaders across Chile will be specially trained as promoters of peace in order to prevent violence in their communities.