Costa Rica plans to embrace shared caregiving, promote women’s equality in the workplace (updated)

Costa Rica intends to put shared responsibility for caregiving at the centre of public policy as an engine for cultural change. It will promote instruments that generate scientific evidence on barriers to using women’s talent. Job creation through affirmative action for women will occur through public/private partnerships, and job creation programmes with affirmative action will benefit youth, women and persons with disabilities. It will create and implement a seal of quality to check and certify gender equality in businesses and institutions, while guaranteeing the effective implementation of inspections in places of work.

Within the framework of the United Nations, it will help uphold promises and commitments.

Speaking at the Global Leaders' Meeting on 27 September 2015, President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera said: “[We commit ourselves] to place at the centre of public policy the shared responsibility for caregiving as an engine for cultural change.” [ Speech ]

Developments since Costa Rica’s commitment

Costa Rica continues to implement the commitments adopted one year ago. To strengthen gender data, the country has passed Law 9325 to collect data on the contribution of unpaid domestic work, largely done by women. In addition, five public–private partnerships have been established to promote gender equality at the workplace and to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship and training.

A pilot project to mainstream gender perspectives in institutional services has been launched, as well as a programme to promote the recruitment of young people aged 18–35, women, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups.

Costa Rica has created and implemented a quality seal to verify and certify gender equality in private sector companies and institutions. To date, 39 public and private organizations have signed a Letter of Intent in which they commit to take steps towards gender equality, as part of the “Gender equality at the workplace” initiative. [ Full update (in Spanish) ]