The head of the National Institute for Women (InMujeres), Mónica Bottero, highlighted the comprehensive response of the State with public policies to gender issues.
He reported that the agency increased care in 35 points of the country by more than 750 hours and the number of shelters for women by 20% and that a new center will be inaugurated soon.
“The achievements obtained have been very significant,” he specified.
The event, held on Monday 22 in the Hugo Balzo room of the Sodre National Auditorium, was also attended by the Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic, Álvaro Delgado; the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Pablo Mieres; the Minister of Housing and Territorial Planning, Irene Moreira; the undersecretary of that portfolio, Tabaré Hackenbruch, and his counterpart from the Ministry of Social Development (Mides), Andrea Brugman, among other national authorities and legislators.
The Inmujeres was created on May 5, 1987, within the scope of the Ministry of Education and Culture, with the aim of analyzing the situation of women and working to improve it. In 2005 it came under Mides and since its inception it has diagnosed and implemented various instruments, such as regulations, plans and programs, in order to achieve substantive equality between women and men in Uruguay.
In his speech, Bottero mentioned that the most significant recent achievements refer to cultural change, that citizens have been able to make visible both gender violence and intra-family and domestic violence. In this sense, he added that all governments understood that the problem requires comprehensive and state action, which includes police, housing, educational and psychosocial service responses.
In turn, he claimed the need to “take an institutional leap”, which consolidates the country in political leadership in gender matters, in order to fulfill the international responsibilities assumed, which should represent “a commitment of the entire political system” .
He pointed out that currently in more than 60% of the nations of Latin America there is a women’s ministry and in many others, secretariats or institutes. Such is the case of ours, which has “very great political influence in the State,” she pointed out.
In another order, Bottero highlighted that the Network of Political Women of Uruguay and the women’s caucus have been essential to implement changes through Parliament, modifications that, in turn, are part of a process that has been developed by the citizens themselves.
In terms of strategic lines, he reported that in this administration the agency increased the response to situations of gender violence, with a reinforcement of more than 750 hours of care, in 35 points throughout the country. In addition, he assured that the number of shelters for women was increased by 20%, today there are five, and added that a new attention center will be inaugurated soon.
Another of the improvements detailed by the director was the extension of the hours of the telephone counseling service for women in situations of domestic violence, through the number 0800 4141, with permanent availability.
In the economic sphere, efforts are being made to promote the autonomy of women through the use of different elements, such as the Employment Promotion Law, Law No. 19,973, of August 13, 2021, support for entrepreneurship and the Care System. In this way, the growth of the economy and the gross domestic product (GDP) are encouraged, he specified.
In addition, Bottero emphasized the importance of women taking part in decision-making, for which a strengthening program for political leaders was created, lasting five months, which includes teaching on topics such as negotiation and communication. In this instance, 62 women are participating. “This is the way to integrate the gaze that represents half of the population,” she stressed.
