Book only in Spanish El camino hacia la igualdad de género en Colombia: todavía hay mucho por hacer [The Path to Gender Equality in Colombia: Still a Long Way to Go] (Second Edition, 2025)

Foreword

Gender equality implies that men and women exercise the same rights and have equal opportunities in health, education, employment, and, in general, in all areas of life. Gender inequalities often affect women and reflect a failure to uphold their human rights, which, in turn, hinders equitable social development. For these reasons, gender equality has been gaining relevance over the past decades and is now a key component of agendas concerning human rights, population, education, health, employment, political participation, and development. In 2000, gender equality was specifically included in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): MDG 3 aimed to promote gender equality and empower women. However, despite the efforts of MDG-committed countries, “gender inequality persists everywhere and stagnates social progress” (United Nations, 2016). In this context, this book offers a long-term perspective on the evolution of gender inequalities in Colombia across various dimensions and confirms their persistence, despite significant advances toward equality.

The approach used in this work yields results that significantly contribute to understanding gender inequalities in Colombia. Through an economic history perspective, it not only examines the long-term evolution of gender inequalities in labor participation, education, demographic indicators, and political and civil rights, but also analyzes their interrelationships to identify key stages in the transformation of women's roles in society from the early 20th century to the present. Using straightforward statistical indicators, the book traces the evolution from an initial stage in the early 20th century, marked by high levels of inequality, to the current, fourth stage, which reflects substantial progress toward equality, although more in some areas than others. Rather than emphasizing the importance of the results and their implications, something the authors' descriptions make evident, the book’s integration of the various dimensions of the phenomenon allows for a clearer view of the complex reality we observe.

Conducting a multidimensional analysis of gender inequalities over the long term involves using a variety of information sources and building a consolidated and consistent database. This task was carried out meticulously for the purposes of this book and now serves as a legacy for scholars of the subject. Undoubtedly, this document is a must-read for academics and policymakers working on gender inequality. It also serves as a fundamental tool in courses, seminars, and workshops addressing the topic from any perspective.

Carmen Elisa Flórez

Refer to the panel discussion on the book “El camino hacia la igualdad de género en Colombia: todavía hay mucho por hacer,” held at the launch of the first edition.

19 August 2021