Four case studies of the Contributions from civil society to the construction of equity are presented: Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru.

1. Contributions from
civil society to the
construction of equity
in Latin America
Brief

2. This note is based on the ¨Contributions from
civil society to the construction of equity in La-
tin America¨ research, prepared by FARO with
the support of RACI (Argentina), Desco (Peru),
Jóvenes contra la Violencia (Guatemala), in the
framework of the research component of the La-
tin American and Caribbean Region (LAC Hub) of
Innovation for Change, and its Civil Society and
Equity Initiative.
Executive Director (I) FARO
Estefanía Terán V.
Research and Evaluation Director FARO
María Caridad Ortiz
Research Team, FARO
Karina Morillo
María Emilia Valencia
Research Assistant, FARO
Elías Zambrano
Editorial oversight:
Andrea Zumárraga, FARO.
Proofreading:
Ma. Del Pilar Cobo, Emepecé.
English translation:
Tracendio Team.
Design and layout:
Storymakers.
July, 2023.

3. Contributions from
civil society to the
construction of equity
in Latin America
Brief
The “Contributions from civil society to the construction of equity in
Latin America ” research contributes to the analysis of socioeconomic
inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with special
emphasisontheeffectsoftheCOVID-19pandemic,anditscross-cutting
relationship with climate change and civic space. Although countries
in the region share similar characteristics, the effects of inequality may
appear differently, depending on the country or territory. This is why
four case studies are presented: Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala and
Peru. These cases allow us to understand the dynamics of inequality
in each country and the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in
building equity.

4. 4
Contributions from civil society to the construction of equity in Latin America
It is found in all sectors and can occur
on the basis of access to resources,
regardless of the social group to which a
person belongs. This is known as vertical
inequality. It can also occur between
groups and families based on traits such as
race, gender, religion or place of birth, also
known as horizontal inequality (Beyond
2015 Campaign, 2012). Both concepts,
vertical and horizontal inequality, are
mutually strengthened, they perpetuate
andcreatecyclesofinequalityandpoverty1
over time (OAS, 2011). Thus, inequality can
be reflected in gaps in income distribution,
capital income, and access to goods
and services, but can also be observed
in arbitrary power relations as a result
of processes of economic, political and
cultural accumulation, appropriation and
concentration that exclude others.
Income inequality in LAC is high, with 10%
of the population accounting for 55% of
income and 77% of wealth (see Graph 1),
although there are other factors that make
the region one of the most unequal on
the planet. Poverty reached 32.3% of the
population and extreme poverty reached
12.9%2 for the region in 2021. Regarding
education, the LAC population has 9 years
of schooling on average, compared to
10.6 years for the European population.
Regarding health, the high rates of chronic
child malnutrition are a clear example of
inequality; Guatemala and Ecuador are at
the top of the list in LAC. Correcting these
figures is critical, since child malnutrition
has become one of the main forms of
intergenerational transmission of poverty
and inequality in the countries of the region
(ECLAC, 2007).
Likewise, regarding access to basic
services, 25% of the population in
the region does not have a source of
contamination-free drinking water3 at all
times. According to ECLAC estimates,
66% do not have safe sanitation services4.
These two services are vital in terms of
health and quality of life, but they can also
help counteract the effects of adverse
events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inequality harms distribution
between people, countries and
generations, and therefore affects
social and institutional relations.
1 Povertycanbedescribedasthedeprivationofphysicalandmentalwell-beingrelatedtoeconomicresourcesandconsumption
(Baratz and Grigsby, 1971). For this reason, poverty is considered a form and product of inequality (Stezano, 2021)
2 Both figures are above the levels recorded during the 2010 - 2019 period.
3 By 2020, 75% of the population will use safe drinking water services (ECLAC, 2022).
4 By 2020, ECLAC estimates that 34% of the population will have safe sanitation services, including a handwashing facility with
soap and water.

5. 5
Brief
Graph 1.
National income share by region (%), 2021
Source: Chancel et al. (2022).
The pandemic worsened social
indicators, and a period of increased
inequality followed. The latter was seen
in the vaccination process: in September
2021, the World Health Organization
(WHO) had to set a vaccination target
of 70% of the global population by mid-
2022, considering that only 3% of people
in low-income countries had been
vaccinatedwithatleastonedoseuntilthat
time, compared to 60.2% in high-income
countries. By March 2022, 6 months after
the target was set, out of the 10.7 billion
doses delivered worldwide, only 1% had
reached low-income countries. As of
May 2023, 3 in 4 people in high-income
countries have been vaccinated with at
least one dose, while only 1 in 3 people
have been vaccinated in low-income
countries (UNDP, 2023).
LAC was one of the most
affected regions, with a loss
equivalent of 30% of its pre-
COVID-19 progress since 1990
in one year, as measured by the
Human Development Index, HDI
(UNDP, 2022).
When faced with these events, social
protection becomes even more
meaningful and important, but it is not
limited to health. Although the pandemic
forced governments to respond to the
public, their efforts fell short. According
to ILO figures, LAC recorded that 56.3%
of the population was covered by at
least one social protection benefit in
2020. This means that a significant

6. Contributions from civil society to the construction of equity in Latin America
6
43.7% of the population in the region is
unprotected against contingencies such
as illness, unemployment, work-related
accidents or occupational diseases,
family responsibilities, maternity, disability,
poverty, invalidity and old age. This also
responds to the fact that 1 out of every 2
employed persons in LAC is an informal
worker (ILO, 2021b). Moreover, the gender
gap is also observed in the region, as
women earn 17% less than men per hour
of work, have a higher unemployment rate
and a lower labor market participation rate
(ILO, 2019; ILO, 2021).
When socioeconomic indicators show
such large gaps, other hazards and
disasters can exacerbate existing
inequalities, weaken the crisis response
capacity, and increase demand for
humanitarian assistance. The exclusion
of certain groups and populations from
decision-making processes, in addition
to the lack of economic resources, also
increases their exposure and vulnerability
to environmental risks. In other words,
inequality becomes a self-reproducing
vicious cycle, as the countries that
generally face a greater risk of natural
disasters have a reduced current and
future response capacity. In the case of
LAC, the 2021 Global Risk Index5 places
the American continent at a slightly
lower risk than Africa for extreme natural
events (IFHV, 2021), despite the fact that
Latin American contamination levels and
contribution to climate change is lower
compared to developed countries.
In light of these inequalities and what
it entails for the population, non-profit
citizen groups, also known as civil society
organizations (CSOs), have been working
for several decades to reduce inequality
and build more just and resilient societies.
The evolution of CSOs as we know them
today has not been without its difficulties.
However, the long road that civil society
has traveled has shown its capacity for
adaptation, innovation and advocacy at
the government and private sector levels.
All this with the objective of proposing and
generating solutions to social problems,
overseeing implementation of local,
national and international public policies,
and promoting political participation at
community levels (United Nations, 2022).
5 The IRM assesses disaster risk for 181 countries and covers 99% of the world’s population. The index was developed by Bünd-
nis Entwicklung Hilft in cooperation with the United Nations University in Bonn, and has been calculated by the Institute for
International Peace Law and Armed Conflict (IFHV), Ruhr University Bochum, since 2018.

7. 7
Brief
Below, a small sample of some innovative initiatives from civil society in the four
countries analyzed, which contribute to the building of equity from their own
different spaces and spheres of action is shown.
Among the main reflections arising from
the study, it is observed that although the
State and the civil society have historically
been in conflict over social demands,
they are sectors that must work together
to reduce inequality and build societies
where all citizens can exercise their
rights and have access to the necessary
resources for an adequate quality of life,
regardless of socioeconomic level, age,
ARGENTINA
ECUADOR
GUATEMALA
PERU
Girls in Technology
Teen Pregnancy Free
Zone
Puente Institute
Food Bank of Peru
Nilus
Soccer for
Development
EspantaCacos
Health Forum
The Base
Learning Communities
COCULTURE
Ideele radio
Gender equity
Teenage pregnancy
Access to education and
community transformation
Food safety
Food safety
Teenagers in vulnerable
situations and with limited
resources
Citizen insecurity
Access to health care
Access to financing for
recovered companies
Improves the quality of
education
Access to financing
Promotion of human
rights
Access to science and technology for
girls and teenagers
Participation and leadership of girls and
teenagers
Community transformation with a
participatory approach
Access to food, waste and pollution
reduction
Technology and food costs reduction for
populations living in poverty
Soccer is used as a connection and
starting point for the educational and
personal development of teenagers
Mobile application for crime reporting
and scarecrows dressed as police
officers to prevent crime
Community initiative for access to first
level health care in case of a healthcare
system collapse
Access to financing for groups that
generally do not have it
Schools as the starting point for
improving the well-being of an entire
community (engagement approach)
Economic inclusion of artists, who
generally do not have access to
financing
Training of journalists and socialization
of human rights information
COUNTRY
NAME OF THE
INITIATIVE SUBJECT
INNOVATION COMPONENT
OF THE INITIATIVES

8. Contributions from civil society to the construction of equity in Latin America
8
To access the full study, you can click
here, and to obtain the most relevant
data on inequality in the four countries,
we invite you to click here.
gender, race, religion or place of birth. In
other words, the State, the private sector
and civil society need to work together to
achieve meaningful change.
On the other hand, the work of CSOs is
focused on individual-based solutions,
where CSOs only act as facilitators of
change. In this sense, active and plural
participation becomes the central axis of
civil society action.
Throughout the study, it is also observed
thatthemaincharacteristicsofcivilsociety,
such as innovation and adaptability, have
helped to overcome critical events, such
as the pandemic, in which States were
overwhelmed by strained economic and
health systems.
An important challenge for the future
of CSOs is the constant search for
participatory proposals, in which
the interests of the population take
precedence, rather than those of the
donors. Together with plans that provide
the initiatives with sustainability and
ownership for the target populations, this
is essential to uphold the social changes
they seek.

9. 9
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Social Policy.
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https://statistics.cepal.org/portal/cepalstat/index.html
Chancel, L., Piketty, T., Saez, E., Zucman, G. et al. (2022). World Inequality Report 2022.
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publication/wcms_715183.pdf

10. 10
ILO. (2021). A new normal with equal pay for men and women.
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