The Latin America and the Caribbean Country Gender Scorecards offer a detailed analysis of gender equality across 11 key areas. These include women's participation in STEM fields, school-to-work transition, teenage pregnancy rates, gender-based violence, access to jobs, ownership of assets, unpaid work, and female leadership. The 2025 edition adds a poverty-gender nexus component.
The scorecards aim to provide evidence-based policy options to address these issues and reduce gender disparities. They highlight several challenges:
In STEM education, women with tertiary degrees are significantly fewer than men in most countries in the region. Youth employment figures show more young women than men are out of employment or education in Central America, with gaps up to 31 percentage points.
A reverse gender gap is evident in secondary education where boys are less likely to complete schooling compared to girls. Adolescent pregnancy remains high with LAC having the second-highest rate globally after Sub-Saharan Africa.
Regarding economic opportunities, women face a 'poverty penalty,' being more likely to live in poor households during their peak productive years. Vulnerable employment is also prevalent among women who often occupy low-paying jobs.
Digital inclusion shows disparities with up to 19 percentage point differences in internet access between genders. However, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, and Belize have closed this gap successfully.
Women perform two to three times more unpaid domestic work than men which affects their economic participation. In leadership roles, women hold 39.6% of senior management positions but there is significant variation across countries regarding firm ownership.
"STEM Education: In most Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries, the proportion of women with tertiary degrees in STEM fields is 2 to 3 times lower than men."
"Youth Employment and Education: More young women than men are out of employment, education, and training, with gender gaps reaching 31 percentage points in Central America."
"Secondary Education: In 22 LAC countries... boys are less likely than girls to complete schooling."
"Adolescent Pregnancy: LAC has the world’s second-highest adolescent pregnancy rate (51.7 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19)..."
"Gender-Based Violence: ...as high as one in four women have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence..."
"Poverty Penalty: LAC women...are more likely to live in poor households..."
"Vulnerable Employment: Employed women...are more likely...to be...in vulnerable...jobs..."
"Digital inclusion: In LAC...gender disparities...reach up to 19 percentage points..."
"Unpaid Domestic Work: Women...perform two to three times more unpaid domestic and care work..."
"Management Positions: Women hold 39.6% of senior and middle management positions..."
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