Chile’s Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) became the new public institution to sign for the UNDP Gender Seal, in a ceremony held at the Bicentennial Building on the morning of Monday 27 March.

Present at this milestone were the Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela; the UNDP Resident Representative in Chile, Georgiana Braga-Orillard; the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality, Luz Vidal Huiriqueo; and the Director (s) of SAG, Andrea Collao.

In his remarks, the Minister of Agriculture referred to the importance of having new tools to advance gender equality. He pointed out that a programme such as the Seal is fundamental to move towards concrete indicators in all areas of an organisation to demonstrate whether there is truly equity and a desire for gender equality. He expressed her satisfaction with SAG’s participation in the programme so that it can become an exemplary service in Chile in this perspective of gender equality.

The UNDP Resident Representative in Chile, Georgiana Braga-Orillard, indicated that UNDP is very satisfied with this partnership. The Gender Seal supports public institutions in achieving their gender objectives, by supporting them to self-evaluate and to close gaps. She pointed out that UNDP works very closely with institutional teams, supports them for reviewing the budget, and accompanies them in the long term so that it has an impact on the public policies that the institution implements. 

Today we are initiating a great challenge as the Agriculture and Livestock Service with the signing of this agreement with UNDP, which aims for the SAG to obtain the Gender Equality Seal. We are talking about a Seal that will allow us to eliminate and narrow the gaps that we have had for years. The idea is to aim for this equality, to understand that women and men have differences, but that we do have to move towards equal opportunities. Through the many presentations and speeches, we have heard today, we understand the need and the commitment we have to make as the Agriculture and Livestock Service. Today marks a before and after because we want to make changes that are truly transcendental.

Andrea Collao, National Director of the institution

The Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions is a methodological proposal to support and recognise the efforts made by public institutions to achieve substantive equality between men and women in the framework of the Sustainable Development Agenda. The aim is to accelerate gender mainstreaming in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a comprehensive process that transforms the institutional framework in both its internal and external dimensions.

Institutions work on five dimensions: planning for gender equality, architecture and capacities, enabling work environments, participation, partnerships and accountability and results. Each of these dimensions is measured through indicators that are built through joint work to ensure that the goal of gender equality is strongly embedded in the institution.