Ministerial Session I: Addressing barriers to social mobility: Education and skills, gender, and migration
Oct 22, 2024 | 2:00 PM - 3:15 PMBogota, Colombia
Oct 22, 2024 | 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Bogota, Colombia
Description
Despite decades of implementing innovative social programs, social mobility remains stagnant in Latin America and the Caribbean. Social mobility, defined as the shift in an individual's socioeconomic status compared to their parents (inter-generational mobility) or within their lifetime (intra-generational mobility), is intricately linked to equality of opportunity. This entails ensuring that individuals have equal chances to succeed in life regardless of factors such as their parents' socioeconomic background, gender, race, ethnicity, birthplace, or other uncontrollable circumstances. Education is the most significant equalizer of opportunities, and the region has witnessed a significant increase in access in the past decades. However, this has not been accompanied by improvements in the quality of education, particularly for disadvantaged populations. Addressing this disparity requires a focus on enhancing the quality and access to education, improving Vocational Education and Training systems, implementing gender inclusion policies, particularly in employment opportunities, and promoting careers in STEM fields. Additionally, tailored solutions are needed to address the unique challenges faced by the growing number of migrants in the region, including legal barriers and discrimination, which hinder their social mobility. This ministerial session aims to explore into these strategies and others aimed at dismantling barriers and fostering social mobility for all individuals in the region.
