CABEI: gender equality is a fundamental human right, indispensable for achieving prosperous, peaceful societies with full human potential

Tegucigalpa, December 1st, 2020.- The Executive President of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Dr. Dante Mossi, participated in the II Forum "Towards an Analytical Approach to Financial Inclusion. Crucial tool for economic revival under conditions of gender equality". The event is organized by UN Women to promote exchange and reflection on financial inclusion, its social impact and gender approach in Central America

In his speech, Dr. Mossi reiterated that for CABEI, gender equity is a fundamental element in achieving the empowerment of women and girls in order to boost economic growth and promote social development. Thus, in the new Institutional Strategy 2020-2024, gender equity became a transversal axis, through programs and projects that favor equal opportunities, and economic and social conditions in the population.

On this point, Mossi emphasized that: "CABEI promotes economic integration and balanced economic and social development in the region, so this would be incomplete without the inclusion of the gender equality and equity approach. For this reason, in 2010 it approved the Gender Equity Policy, which has the support of the UN. Efforts were also joined with the signing of an agreement with COMMCA and UN Women to design the Financial Intermediation Program in Support of Gender Equity: Regional Business Financing Program for Women (FEM)."

Through the initiative, CABEI has been able to promote the empowerment and economic autonomy of women, contributing to the process of regional economic development and integration on gender issues. The beneficiary countries are: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, as well as other CABEI beneficiary countries within the SICA region. To date, more than US$ 20 million have been disbursed and have benefited more than 4,908 households, 70% of which are headed by women.

At the end of his speech, Mossi explained that gender equality, in addition to being a fundamental human right, is essential for achieving prosperous, peaceful societies with full human potential. In this sense he said: "we cannot ignore the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that has demonstrated the great challenges we have as societies, making gender inequalities more evident, it is women who are most affected by the increase in unemployment, and poverty. That is why the forum is of great relevance, given that we must promote social inclusion as a crucial tool for economic recovery under conditions of gender equality.”

The forum will be held from December 1 to 3, 2020. It hopes to expand knowledge to facilitate financial inclusion as a public good by responding to people's differentiated needs, generating synergies among key actors to facilitate access to innovative financial services for women entrepreneurs in rural and urban areas, and promoting dialogue between banking institutions and financial system regulators.