As part of the preparatory process for the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, to be held from 12 to 15 August 2025 in Mexico City, the Subregional Meetings were held on 27 March and 8–9 April 2025, organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in its role as Technical Secretariat, in coordination with UN Women and under the leadership of the Government of Mexico as host country.

These meetings formed part of the roadmap defined by the member States at the 66th Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, held on 4–5 December 2024 at ECLAC headquarters in Santiago, Chile. During each meeting, government representatives, international organizations and civil society networks engaged in dialogue on the progress of the position paper and the proposed organization of the Conference, whose central theme will be: "Transformations in the political, economic, social, cultural and environmental spheres to promote the care society and gender equality."

Preparatory Meeting for the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean with Caribbean Countries

On 27 March 2025, in a context marked by challenges arising from climate change, disasters, migration processes and the need to strengthen gender equality policies, the Subregional Meeting of English-speaking Caribbean countries was held as part of the preparatory process for the XVI Regional Conference on Women, to be held in August 2025 in Mexico City.

Held in a hybrid format from Barbados, the Subregional Meeting brought together representatives from governments of the English-speaking Caribbean, United Nations entities, regional organizations and civil society to exchange substantive contributions to the Conference position paper and review progress in its organization.

The meeting was inaugurated by Diane Quarless, Director of the ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean; Isiuwa Iyahen, Acting Head of the UN Women Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean; and Daniela Pacheco, Director of Feminist Foreign Policy and International Cooperation of the Secretariat of Women of Mexico, on behalf of the host country of the XVI Regional Conference.

ECLAC was represented by Ana Güezmes García, Director of the Division for Gender Affairs, who presented the progress on the position paper entitled "The care society: governance, political economy and social dialogue for a transformation with gender equality." In her remarks, she highlighted the urgent need to transition towards a new development model that recognizes care as a right, a need, and as work that drives economies, emphasizing interdependence, co-responsibility and the sustainability of life and the planet. “The Caribbean faces particular challenges such as climate change, migration and the precariousness of care work. It is therefore essential that Caribbean voices are fully incorporated into the next Regional Conference,” she stated.

The Forum was attended by representatives of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Turks and Caicos Islands, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, who shared their perspectives and experiences as part of the preparatory process for the XVI Regional Conference.

The meeting concluded with remarks by Cecilia Alemany, Deputy Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean of UN Women, Daniela Pacheco from the Secretariat of Women of Mexico, and Ana Güezmes, who thanked the participating delegations for their contributions and reaffirmed the importance of ensuring Caribbean participation in this regional process.

It is worth noting that the meeting was held back-to-back with the Caribbean Academic Forum, also part of the preparatory process for the XVI Regional Conference.

Preparatory Meeting for the XVI Regional Conference with South American Countries

On 8 April 2025, South American countries met virtually to exchange contributions on the position paper and review organizational progress for the upcoming Regional Conference on Women, to be held in Mexico City from 12 to 15 August 2025. The meeting formed part of the roadmap approved by ECLAC member States to strengthen regional participation in this intergovernmental process.

The meeting was inaugurated by Ana Güezmes García, Director of the Division for Gender Affairs of ECLAC; María-Noel Vaeza, Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean of UN Women; and Citlalli Hernández Mora, Secretary of Women of Mexico, in her capacity as host country representative. She highlighted Mexico’s commitment to receiving delegations from across the region and providing a forum that meets today’s challenges.

Ana Güezmes emphasized that the region is experiencing a development crisis reflected in three structural traps: low growth capacity, high inequality, and weak institutional governance. “These traps intersect with the structural challenges of gender inequality, where the care crisis and the persistent feminization of poverty limit the achievement of substantive equality,” she stated. She also pointed out that one in four women have no personal income, while only one in ten men are in that situation, according to data from ECLAC’s Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean.

During the session, Lucía Scuro, Senior Social Affairs Officer of the Division for Gender Affairs, presented the position paper "The care society: governance, political economy and social dialogue for a transformation with gender equality," explaining that it proposes overcoming development traps through a new paradigm that positions care as a public good, a right and an economic driver. The paper includes five chapters addressing multilevel governance, co-responsibility, public policies, a prospective perspective, and a roadmap to advance this transformation.

Authorities and government representatives shared experiences and lessons aimed at building rights-based, gender-sensitive and territorially inclusive care systems. Their interventions reflected steady progress in building legislative, institutional and participatory frameworks to guarantee the right to care, recognize care work, and move toward more equitable and sustainable development models.

In the roadmap segment, Gabriela Rivadeneira, Director-General for Technical Cooperation of the Secretariat of Women of Mexico, detailed the preparations for the XVI Conference, including the formation of the Organizing Committee, progress on the host country agreement, and the promotion of self-managed spaces such as the Feminist Forum and the Parliamentary Forum. She also emphasized the need to collectively address challenges such as climate change, migration, gender-based violence and food insecurity, all of which have direct impacts on care systems.

Cecilia Alemany referred to the ongoing preparations for the Feminist and Parliamentary Forums and called for mobilizing new contributions to the Regional Fund in Support of Women’s and Feminist Organizations and Movements. She closed the session by thanking participating countries and reaffirming UN Women's role as a strategic partner in the Conference process.

Ana Güezmes stressed the importance of incorporating the diversity of voices from the region, including Indigenous women's organizations, and addressing the territorial dimension of policies. She also underscored that the Conference will feature broad calls for side events, promoting alliances between governments, international organizations and civil society.

Delegations from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela participated, along with representatives of international organizations, civil society and other regional entities. The meeting reaffirmed the governments' commitment to building a care society as a pillar of development focused on the sustainability of life and gender equality.

Preparatory Meeting for the XVI Regional Conference with Central American, Spanish-speaking Caribbean and Mexican Countries

On 9 April 2025, the Subregional Meeting with the countries of Central America, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean was held, convened by ECLAC and UN Women under the leadership of the Government of Mexico as host country. It was inaugurated by Jorge Mario Martínez, Director of the ECLAC Subregional Headquarters in Mexico; María-Noel Vaeza, UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean; and Citlalli Hernández Mora, Secretary of Women of Mexico.

During the central session, Ana Güezmes García, Director of the Division for Gender Affairs of ECLAC, presented the progress on the position paper "The care society: governance, political economy and social dialogue for a transformation with gender equality." “Demographic processes, epidemiological trends and climate change will increase the demand for care in the coming years. We need a regional pact to guarantee care as a human right and public good, with sustainable financing mechanisms and social and gender co-responsibility,” she stated.

In the roadmap segment, Gabriela Rivadeneira emphasized Mexico’s commitment to promoting a participatory and transformative Conference, reaffirming its efforts to foster self-managed spaces such as the Feminist Forum and the Parliamentary Forum, and to create dialogue spaces with civil society, communities and parliaments. “The State must play a catalytic role in guaranteeing the right to care. This Conference is a catalyst for debates already taking place in the territories,” she noted. She also referred to climate change, migration, organized crime and food insecurity as factors that exacerbate the care crisis.

Cecilia Alemany called for strengthening the region’s leadership in global debates and underscored the strategic value of spaces like the Feminist and Parliamentary Forums. She stressed the importance of guaranteeing the participation of Indigenous, Afro-descendant and youth organizations and called for increased contributions to the Regional Fund to enable diverse and multiscale participation, particularly of historically excluded groups.

Nicole Bidegain, Social Affairs Officer of the Division for Gender Affairs of ECLAC, presented the roadmap for the XVI Regional Conference, highlighting that the agenda will include the presentation of the position paper, government comments, the reading of the civil society declaration, and contributions from the Parliamentary and Academic Forums. On Wednesday, 13 August, a high-level dialogue on the Conference’s central theme and the relaunch of the Gender Equality Observatory are planned. On Thursday, 14 August, three working groups will be held, including one on guiding principles for the design of gender-responsive, intercultural, intersectional and territorial care policies. The Conference will conclude on Friday, 15 August, with a segment entitled "Memory and Future," marking the 50th anniversary of the First World Conference on Women (1975) and the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), followed by the adoption of agreements and the closing session.

Delegations from Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic participated, sharing initiatives aimed at strengthening gender-responsive public services, promoting comprehensive care systems and safeguarding rights in contexts of social and environmental transformation.

Civil society representatives highlighted the importance of promoting the participation of women’s organizations in the Conference’s work and in calls to the Regional Fund.

The Subregional Meetings contributed to building a shared vision of the care society as a pillar of a new development model for Latin America and the Caribbean. This process reaffirms the States’ commitment to the Regional Gender Agenda and to strengthening multilateralism at a crucial time for renewing social pacts, consolidating transformative public policies and projecting regional solutions with global impact.