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Gender equality remains a distant prospect in Chile

Monday, March 23, 2020

Subject

Women's rights.

Significance

In a landmark decision, Chile’s Congress passed a law on March 4 to ensure gender parity in the body that will draft a new constitution, provided this is approved by a referendum now expected to be held on October 25.

Impacts

  • Gender parity would give legitimacy to a constitutional convention at a time of all-time low confidence levels in political institutions.
  • Parity would encourage the emergence of new women leaders among lesser-known academics, politicians and community leaders.
  • The gender parity issue will cause further tensions in the ruling centre-right coalition, which split over the measure.

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