Executive-Result-Report-Survey-on-the-impact-of-the-COVID-19-pendemic-in-the-personnel-of-the-OLACEFS-members-SAIs.pdf

12th Jul 2023

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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SURVEY ON THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE
PERSONNEL OF THE OLACEFS MEMBER SAIs
Executive Results Report
GTG-OLACEFS 3/8/21 .

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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Survey on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Staff of
OLACEFS’ member SAIs

March 2021

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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Survey on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Staff of
OLACEFS’ member SAIs

Executive report:

The total or partial reproduction of this publication is permitted provided it is duly cited.

Citation suggestion: OLACEFS (2021) Survey on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on
the Staff of OLACEFS’ member SAIs. Executive report:

Copyright © 2021 Latin American and Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
(OLACEFS).
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of OLACEFS.

Latin American and Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
Teatinos 56, Santiago
Región Metropolitana, Chile
olacefs.com
genre.olacefs.com

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Contents

1. Introduction 7
1.1 Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic 7
1.2 Overall Objective 8
1.3 Structure of the report 9
1.4 Use of language 9
2. Methodology 10
2.1 Survey Overview 10
2.2 Deadline for collecting responses 10
2.3 Universe, response rate and characterization of the sample 10
2.4 Methodological approach to the survey 11
3. Characterization of the staff responding to the survey 12
3.1 Gender and Sexual Orientation 12
4. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SAI staff with a gender and intersectional approach 19
4.1 Impact on work. 19
4.2 Impact on the private sphere 22
4.3 Issues and concerns 29
4.4 Domestic and gender-based violence 32
4.5 Violence and harassment at work 35
5. Conclusions and steps forward 37
6. References 38
7. Glossary 43
8. List of Acronyms 45
9. Annexes 46

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PROLOGUE

UN Women is honored to present this study with a gender and intersectionality perspective
on the impact of COVID-19 on the staff of the different entities that make up the Latin
American and Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (OLACEFS).

Since 2013, UN Women and OLACEFS have been collaborating at regional and national
levels to mainstream the gender perspective as a focal point of supreme audit, thereby also
promoting cultural change within organizations. OLACEFS’ contribution through the
development of two continent-wide coordinated audits on gender, as well as specific studies
on the feminization of poverty in the framework of the follow-up to the implementation of
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 5, and the creation of the Working Group on
Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination, have been instrumental in the regional debate on
the role of SAIs in overseeing fiscal resources and decision-making on gender equality
policies.

OLACEFS’ desire to integrate the gender approach has had an impact within organizations,
strengthening capacities and adopting internal regulations to eliminate gender gaps. In this
regard, it is not surprising that OLACEFS is concerned with evaluating and taking action
regarding the differential impact the pandemic has had on officials providing services at
national comptrollers’ offices.

Indeed, COVID-19 has implied setbacks and new challenges for the fulfillment of the SDGs
and especially SDG 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

The pandemic has led to an economic recession that will reverse progress in poverty
reduction, women also being particularly affected by lack of access and loss of livelihoods.
The care crisis in the region came into focus and has intensified. The already existing
overburden of unpaid care that is mostly assumed by women increased as women took on
more responsibilities for educational tasks. Gender-based violence against women, which we
call the shadow pandemic because of its pandemic magnitude, even before COVID-19,
increased in both private and public spaces. The new virtuality – and the dependence on
virtual spaces and their increased use – saw the expansion of digital violence and
cyberbullying. All of this has caused serious repercussions for women’s mental and physical
health.

One year into the pandemic in the Latin American and Caribbean region, and we have
witnessed, measured and monitored the devastating impacts it has had on our societies,
communities and institutions, and we have found that consequences for women have been
disproportionately negative compared to men.

Based on initial evidence and data collected on different aspects of the impact of the
pandemic from a gender perspective, every day we have more and more elements to support

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evidence-based approaches and solutions to address the crisis from a gender perspective. This
is highly relevant for both public and internal policies of the institutions.

In this sense, UN Women applauds OLACEFS’ commitment to act quickly and with
adequate information in situations of crisis. This study is good institutional practice for
outlining recommendations to improve institutional policies for the welfare and health of
staff, as well as for exploring perceptions of the efficiency of different work modalities that
virtualization implies and the opportunities they present. Today it is more important than ever
for Supreme Audit Institutions to attend the needs of their staff and provide them with
gender-sensitive training that facilitates a better response to this crisis with the face of a
woman.

Maria Noel Vaeza , UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean

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1. Introduction

1.1 Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has sent shock waves across the entire world, having a
resounding impact, not only on public health, but also economically, socially, and
psychologically. Its impact on Latin America and the Caribbean, unfortunately, has been
devastating, 1 destabilizing countries by inducing one of the greatest health, economic and
social crises in decades, with negative effects on efforts to generate employment, combat
poverty and reduce inequality. 2 This is added to the fact that Latin America is home to some
of the countries with the highest levels of COVID-19 infections, 3-4 despite the fact that many
of them have established a variety of measures, including social isolation, to avoid a
breakdown in public health systems and reduce the rate of infection and death. 5

The crisis caused by the pandemic has impacted different social groups in different
ways, leading to an increase in inequalities (Vargas Hill & Narayan, 2020). Women and girls
have been affected by social isolation the most, as there has been a reported increase in
domestic violence during the crisis and a greater need for emergency protection (UN Women,
2020). In addition, domestic and care work have increased, children are not attending school,
care needs for the elderly have also increased, while health services have been overwhelmed.
All these factors have impacted the participation rate of women and their income. 6
Meanwhile, in our countries, there is an overrepresentation of Afro-descendants among
people living in poverty, engaged in informal work and care, who are disproportionately
more affected by the pandemic (ECLAC, 2021). Likewise, the increase in unemployment
rates, specifically in trade and tourism, has had negative repercussions on the economies of
indigenous peoples. 7

1 ECLAC (2021). Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean. Obtained from:
https://www.cepal.org/es/publicaciones/46501-balance-preliminar-economias-america-latina-caribe-2020 2 World Bank (2020) 2020 Annual summary: The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in 12 graphs. Obtained
from: https://blogs.worldbank.org/es/voices/resumen-anual-2020-el-impacto-de-la-covid-19-coronavirus-en-12-
graficos 3 ECLAC (2021). People of African descent and COVID-19: revealing structural inequalities in Latin America.
Obtained from: https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/46620/1/S2000729_es.pdf 4 OECD (2020). Covid-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Overview of Government Responses to the
Crisis . Obtained from: https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/covid-19-en-america-latina-y-el-
caribe-panorama-de-las-respuestas-de-los-gobdamientos-a-la- crisis-7d9f7a2b / 5 ECLAC (2020). Report on the economic impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Latin America and the
Caribbean. Obtained from: https://www.cepal.org/es/publicaciones/45602-informe-impacto-economico-
america-latina-caribe-la-enfermedad-coronavirus-covid 6 UN Women (2020). Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women . Retrieved from
https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2020/policy-brief-
the-impact-of-covid-19-on-women-en.pdf?la= in & vs = 1406 7 ECLAC (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on the indigenous peoples of Latin America-Abya Yala: Between
invisibility and collective resistance. Obtained from:
https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/46543/2/S2000817_es.pdf

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It is essential for Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) to pay attention to gender and
inclusion issues, both internally and externally since, as pointed out by the International
Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions ( INTOSAI), SAIs must be responsive to changing
environments and emerging risks, 8 which implies the adoption of adequate responses to key
issues that affect society, such as those related to gender and non-discrimination. According
to the INTOSAI P-20 standard, an SAI must operate on the basis of transparency and
accountability. This guideline is in agreement with that proposed by INTOSAI P-12, which
mandates SAIs to lead by example. This is especially relevant when dealing with
organizations that contribute to the review of compliance with national and international
regulations; in some contexts, they evaluate the economy, effectiveness and efficiency of the
public sector as well as verify that the State guarantees equal opportunities for all groups in
society.
Considering the validity of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 9 and
OLACEFS’ commitment to its implementation, this work is guided by the “leave no one
behind” principle. This is cross-cutting to the entire Agenda and directly interrelated with
SDG 5 – Gender Equality. To leave no one behind implies that, by eliminating structural
barriers that undermine gender equality, discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender
identity, ethnicity/race, disability, and promoting the participation of women and other groups
in decisions that affect their lives, it is possible to eradicate poverty and inequality, build
resilience to disasters, climate change and conflict, and promote sustainable development.
Bearing this in mind, the Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
(GTG) of the Latin American and Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
(OLACEFS), 10 in collaboration with the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development,
through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, 11 began
preparing an assessment to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among the
individuals who make up OLACEFS’ full member SAIs. A survey was prepared and
disseminated for such purposes, the executive report of which is presented below. It should
be noted that this initiative contributes to the achievement of the mandate that the OLACEFS
General Assembly conferred to the GTG and was considered a strategic action of the
Organization within the framework of mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The
development of the survey was accompanied and coordinated, within the GTG, through a
task force made up of staff from the SAIs of Argentina and Chile, supported by GIZ through
a specialized consultancy on gender.
1.2 Overall Objective

The objective of this document is to provide an overview of the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on individuals working at OLACEFS’ full member SAIs, particularly
women, from an intersectional perspective (UN Women, 2020). This, in turn, aims to help
strengthen the institutional responses of the region’s SAIs to the crisis.

8 INTOSAI INTOSAI P-12: The Value and Benefits of Supreme Audit Institutions – making a difference in the
lives of citizens. Obtained from: ISSAI Org: https://www.issai.org/pronouncements/intosai-p-12-the-value-and-
benefits-of-supreme-audit-institutions-making-a-difference-to-the-lives-of-citizens/ 9 United Nations (September 2015). A/RES/70/1. Obtained from: UNDOCS: https://undocs.org/es/A/RES/70/1 10More information at: http://genero.olacefs.com/ 11In the framework of implementation of the regional project for Strengthening External Control in the
Environmental Area: https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/75436.html

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1.3 Structure of the report

This report is structured as follows: first, the work methodology is described; then, the
staff who responded to the survey are characterized; next, the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the staff of SAIs is described with a gender and intersectional approach, a
section created by selecting variables with the most relevant findings in five areas (impact on
work, impact on the private sphere, issues and concerns related to the pandemic, domestic
and gender violence, as well as workplace violence and harassment); and finally, a section is
presented with recommendations and perspectives for the Organization, and the bibliography.
More information will be available in the full report, including the corresponding statistical
analyses.

1.4 Use of language

This document makes use of LGBTIQ+ 12 and ethno-racial terminology with absolute
respect for socially recognized gender and culture diversity. It is possible, however, that there
are some meanings or recommendations for the use of concepts that may differ from one
country to another, which should not be interpreted as a prejudice or the intention of its
authors.

12Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and Queer. The acronym LGBTIQ is used to describe diverse groups
of people who do not conform to conventional or traditional notions of male and female gender roles. The
terminology related to these human groups is not fixed and evolves rapidly, and there are other various
formulations, which is why “+” has been added to the acronym. This acronym will be used interchangeably
without ignoring other manifestations of gender expression, gender identity or sexual orientation.

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2. Methodology

2.1 Survey Overview

The questionnaire was prepared by a GTG task force made up of the SAIs of Argentina
and Chile, having the support of a gender specialist and the technical support of the
OLACEFS Information and Communication Technologies Commission, who managed the
survey’s platform. It included 49 questions divided into five sections: sociodemographic
profile; quarantine and work; quarantine and personal life; COVID-19 related issues and
concerns; and use of time. The survey aimed to identify the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic among the staff of OLACEFS’ full member SAIs. It will also help collect data for
analysis and be used as input for the preparation of the OLACEFS Gender Equality and Non-
Discrimination Policy and, in this context, will develop ad hoc guidelines that OLACEFS’
member SAIs may consider to improve the working conditions of their staff and mitigate the
consequences of the pandemic.

Given the sensitivity of the issues addressed and the right to personal data protection,
the survey was prepared in an anonymous response format. The data were collected in
aggregate form and the questionnaire included the possibility that each official could freely
choose whether to provide the information or not. The data obtained and the information
processed will be for the knowledge of the SAI’s senior management and the OLACEFS’
structure.

2.2 Deadline for collecting responses

The response collection period granted by the GTG ran from December 3 to 20, 2020.
However, in response to the request of some SAIs, and considering the December recess, the
GTG granted an extension of the term to January 15, 2021.

2.3 Universe, response rate and characterization of the sample

In relation to the level of participation of OLACEFS’ Full Member SAIs, and taking
into account a total estimated universe of 32,139 civil servants, 13 the survey obtained 5,456
valid responses from 20 SAIs 14 from the following countries: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and
Venezuela, representing 17% of the total population. The universe, number of responses and
response rate by SAI are presented in Annex 1 .

The SAIs of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua stood out
for their high level of participation in the survey, allowing a better characterization of their
members and the challenges they face during the pandemic. For example, in the case of
13Estimate provided by the OLACEFS Executive Secretariat obtained in the Results Report – Perception Survey
of the Gender Situation within OLACEFS Entities (2019). 14The SAIs of Curaçao and Mexico did not respond to the survey.

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Bolivia, information was collected from practically every staff member and, with respect to
Nicaragua, 63.4%. Guatemala and Chile were next with 44.0% and 40.5% of their total staff
responding, respectively.

On the other hand, some SAIs had a particularly low response rate. This disparity in
response rates between SAIs poses challenges in terms of representativeness for regional and
inter-entity results. It also exposes the need to promote a more active participation of SAIs in
the generation of information that translates into the design of timely recommendations for all
these entities in the region, and specific to each one of them. The detail of participation by
SAI can be seen in Annex 1 .

2.4 Methodological approach to the survey

For the analysis of the survey responses to provide representative results, in the sense
that they would be consistent with the proportion that each SAI has in the total population of
the 20 SAIs that responded to the survey and that were considered in this study, a specific
correction factor was created ex post for each observation and for each SAI. By applying this
factor, the results obtained from the survey were transformed into weighted averages of the
results for each country and in which the weights are equivalent to the percentage
participation of each SAI in the total staff of OLACEFS’ member SAIs where valid responses
were obtained. The correction factors can be seen in Annex 2 .15

The processing and analysis of survey responses 16 was carried out with the statistical
program, Stata®. Unless otherwise indicated, the results included in this report were
calculated by applying the referred correction factor.

15For each country, the correction factor was created as the expected number of responses according to the
percentage share of the country in the population of the 20 SAIs, divided by the number of responses obtained in
the survey. 16For data analysis, cross-frequency tables were generated to report the status of the data since their qualitative
nature did not allow the implementation of typical outlier detection from the quantitative technique of
interquartile deviations, validating the information of the responses to the same question contained in different
columns of the databases.

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3. Characterization of the staff responding to the survey
The profile presented below shows the diversity of the OLACEFS’ SAI staff who
have responded to the survey. Questions about gender identity and ethno-racial belonging are
based on self-perception/self-identification.

3.1 Gender and Sexual Orientation

According to the self-perception of gender of people surveyed, of the total sample,
55.7% are women, 44.1% are men and 0.1% identify themselves as “other.” At least 3 people
declared themselves outside the binary spectrum of male/female genders.

[Captions for graph 1:
(1) The sums of the percentages may not add up to one hundred percent due to rounding of figures.]

Now, in relation to the participation by SAI , there is a balance in the responses
provided by men and women in most countries. Different was the case of Costa Rica, Cuba,
Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and
Venezuela, where male representation was below 40%.

Comentado [Ah1]: Graph1. Self-perception of
Gender
[% of total observations]
-Woman -Man -Other

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[Captions for graph 2:
(1) The sums of the percentages may not add up to one hundred percent due to rounding of figures.]

With respect to sexual orientation 3.7% of the total sample claimed to be homosexual
(2.2%) or bisexual (1.5%). Among the people who indicated the option “other,” 9 people self-
identified with categories that were not in the options already mentioned here or indicated
that they did not agree with the categorizations, while 18 respondents did not indicate what
they perceive as “other.”

Comentado [Ah2]: Graph 2. Self-perception of
gender in each country
[% of total observations in each country]
– Man -Woman -Other

Brazil
Dominican Republic
Panama

Los demás países ya están en su denominación en
inglés

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Regarding statistics on the representativeness of the LGBTIQ+ population, research
reveals that there is an invisibility of this group in the data due to the underrepresentation that
this population has in relation to cisgender and heterosexual people (McKinsey & Company,
2020), in addition to the non-disclosure of their gender identity or sexual orientation in
surveys. The levels of discrimination and violence experienced by the LGBTIQ + population
makes disclosure difficult, not to mention there are groups within the LGBTIQ + population
that are against registration in these categories (Stang, 2018).

Although the percentages may not immediately call our attention, within the sample
universe, sexual diversity represents a total of 141 bisexual or homosexual people, in addition
to the 9 people who did not identify themselves in the categories presented (or none at all). In
other words, at least 150 people do not consider themselves heterosexual and, therefore, are
susceptible to various types of discrimination for not conforming to current social gender
norms.

In any case, statistical visibility is not the only route to effective recognition of the
rights of LGBTIQ+ people (Stang, 2018). Recognizing their challenges in the face of
discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, the promotion of diversity
in institutions is a commitment to social justice and human rights.

In relation to age, most of the people surveyed (76.1% of the sample) were under 55
years of age, 28.9% being in the 35 to 44 year age group, and 28.5% in the 45 to 54 year
range. Only 18.8% of the staff that responded were under 35 years of age.

Comentado [Ah3]: Graph 3. Sexual orientation
[% of total observations]

Heterosexual
Homosexual
Bisexual
Other
I don’t understand the question
I prefer not to respond

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[Captions for graph 4:
(1) The sums of the percentages may not add up to one hundred percent due to rounding of figures.]

In the age groups from 55 years of age, men are the majority, while women are the
majority among the staff under that age. In other words, changes in gender roles in society
over the decades have also impacted the increase in female representation in SAIs (Avolio &
Di Laura, 2017). 17

17For greater clarity on female representativeness, ethno-racial belonging and sexual diversity among the staff, it
is suggested that specific censuses be developed in each SAI to capture these diversities.
Comentado [Ah4]: Graph 4. Age
[% of total observations]

18-24 years….75 years or more

Total

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[Captions for graph 5:
(1) The results shown in the graph refer to the total sample of men and women, and not the total sample.
(2) The sum of the percentages may not add up to one hundred percent due to rounding of figures.]

Regarding the ethno-racial 18 distribution, the majority of the staff (56.2%) identify as
mestizo , followed by 31.5% who consider themselves white. Those who self-identify as Afro-
descendants, or some other race/ethnic or indigenous group, are respectively 5.1%, 2.5% and
1.6% of the total sample.

18Regarding the term, ethno-racial: “Finally, without intending to elaborate a genealogy of how these concepts
have been used by ECLAC, it is possible to assert that, from the beginning, it has chosen to use the expression
“ethno-racial” given that, for the study of Afro-descendant people and communities, it was necessary to use a
language that could encompass the reality of the broadest possible group of Latin American countries,
respecting their heterogeneity and the existing diversity of denominations and categorizations” (ECLAC &
UNFPA, 2020)

Comentado [Ah5]: Graph 5. Gender and Age
[% of total observations in each gender group]

75 years or more

-Woman -Man

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[The highlighted text below should be presented in the diagrammed version of the report in an edited format,
probably as a text box]

Regarding the positions that the people surveyed hold within their SAIs, a majority of
them responding to the survey reported holding operational positions (74.0%), 20.3%,
holding intermediate positions (middle management heads or other similar functions) and
only 5.7% holding a senior management position within their institutions. 19

19The survey question on hierarchical level has three options for response as shown in graph 7. However, given
that each SAI has unique organizational structures, the presence of a bias in the response is possible as it is
based on the self-perception of the position held by the surveyed staff themselves.
The survey numbers indicate an underrepresentation of indigenous and Afro-descendant
populations in SAI staff when compared to regional censuses. It is estimated that those who self-
identify with categories related to Afro-descendants represent around 20.9% of the total
population of the Latin American region (ECLAC, 2021). The indigenous population,
meanwhile, is estimated at 8.3% of that population (ECLAC, 2013). However, taking into
account the structural inequalities in Latin America and the Caribbean that hinder access to
education, health, housing and employment for Afro-descendant and indigenous populations, the
low representation of these groups reflected in this survey coincides with the unequal reality in
the region.
In relation to ethno-racial representation, according to national census data (2010), Brazil has the
highest percentage of Afro-descendant population in Latin America and the Hispanic Caribbean
(50.9%), Cuba is second (35.9%), followed by Puerto Rico (14.8%), Colombia (10.5%), Panama
(8.8%), Costa Rica (7.8%) and Ecuador (7.2%). The other countries in the region have Afro-
descendant percentages below 5% (ECLAC, 2017, 2018). Variation also exists in the countries
regarding the representation of indigenous populations, being more represented in Bolivia
(62.2%), Guatemala (41.0%), Peru (24%), Mexico (15.1%), Panama (12.3%), Chile (11.0%),
Nicaragua (8.9%), Ecuador (7.0%), and Honduras (7.0%) (ECLAC, 2013).

Comentado [Ah6]: Graph 6. Self-perception of
Ethnicity
[% of total observations]

Asian
White
Indigenous
Mestizo (Mixed, or mixed-race, if you prefer
Black or Afro-descendant
Other
I prefer not to answer

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SAI staff are highly qualified professionals as most of the people who responded to
the survey have a university degree (56.0%) or a master’s degree (33.0%), while 3.2% have
doctorates. These data become relevant in Latin America and the Caribbean, a region in
which the average number of years of study is 8.8 years (ECLAC, 2019), which means that
the population, on average, does not complete secondary education.

[Legend for graph 8:
(1) The sum of the percentages may not add up to one hundred percent due to rounding of figures.]
Comentado [Ah7]: Graph 7. Hierarchical Level in the
SAI
[% of total observations]

Senior management
Middle management
Operation al level
Comentado [Ah8]: Graph 8. Education Level
[% of total observations]

Primary
Secondary
Technical
University
Master
Doctorate o r more

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4. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SAI staff with a gender
and intersectional approach

4.1 Impact on work. 20

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has negatively impacted the labor market. 21 For
some sectors, measures to restrict people’s mobility have resulted in paralysis of their
activities, which has led to more layoffs or decreasing incomes. Likewise, some countries in
the region have cut salaries to public employees or suspended planned increases. 22 According
to the International Labor Organization (ILO), in Latin America and the Caribbean, the
impact of the crisis has affected female participation rates to an even greater degree than male
participation rates (ILO, 2020).

One way to comply with the isolation measures and continue operating has been to
resort to teleworking or remote work in both public and private sectors. 23 The viability of
developing paid activities from home is correlated with gender, age, as well as being
positively associated with well-paid occupations, educational level and formal employment
status (Santiel, 2020).

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the public sector has adopted teleworking to
guarantee the continuity of institutions under various regulations. 24 This modality implied
new challenges, including concerns about staff performance, significant repercussions on the
psychological balance of the workers and, in several countries, an increase in reports of
gender-based violence linked to quarantine and, consequently, to the world of work when the
home constitutes the workplace. 25 The following results provide an overview of how the
pandemic has impacted the work of the SAIs surveyed.

At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, half (50.0%) of the SAI workers surveyed were
able to choose where they would carry out their work. Some 29.3%, however, had to opt for
20In this section, the concept of work refers to paid tasks. Later on, the differentiation between paid and unpaid
work will be made. 21 World Bank (2020). The Impact of COVID-19 on Labor Market Outcomes: Lessons from Past Economic
Crises . Recovered from: https://blogs.worldbank.org/es/education/el-impacto-de-covid-19-en-los-resultados-
del-mercado-laboral-lecciones-que-ofrecen 22 IMF (2020) Considerations on cutting public salaries to reorder spending in times of crisis. Obtained
from https://www.imf.org/~/media/Files/Publications/covid19-special-notes/Spanish/spspecial-series-on-
covid19issues-when-cutting-government-pay-to-help-reshuffle-spending- in-a-crisis.ashx? la = en 23ECLAC / ILO (2020) Employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Work in times of pandemic:
challenges in the face of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) N ° 22, p.31. Obtained from:
https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/45557/1/S2000307_es.pdf 24ECLAC / ILO (2020) Employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Work in times of pandemic:
challenges in the face of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) N ° 22, p.31. Obtained from:
https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/45557/1/S2000307_es.pdf 25ECLAC / ILO (2020) Employment situation in Latin America and the Caribbean. Work in times of pandemic:
challenges in the face of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) N ° 22, p.32. Obtained from:
https://repositorio.cepal.org/bitstream/handle/11362/45557/1/S2000307_es.pdf

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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teleworking without the option of being able to work from the office. On the other hand,
13.3% continued to go to the office to work despite the pandemic. Teleworking was already
an option for 7.4% of all those surveyed.

Although a new option for most SAI staff in Latin America and the Caribbean, the
possibility of teleworking was well received given the COVID-19 crisis. When asked which
model they would likely choose if given the option, in light of the crisis, the majority of
people favored the teleworking model, either completely or partially. 45.2% indicated that
they would like to work from home; 43.0% indicated that, if they had the choice, they would
work some days in the office, and only 11.9% stated that they would work from the office.

[Legend for graph 10:
(1) The sum of the percentages may not add up to one hundred percent due to rounding of figures.]

As shown in the following graphs, the changes resulting from the crisis did not affect
productivity and paid workload for most staff. However, workload increased, and
productivity improved for more than a third of the those surveyed.

Comentado [Ah9]: Graph 9. SAI and teleworking
[% of total observations]

– Despite the Covid-19 crisis, you have always had the
flexibility to work from home, if you wished
– You were obligated to work from the office
– You were obligated to work from home
– You had the option to work from home , if you wished
Comentado [Ah10]: Graph 10. Preference over work
location
[% of total observations]

– Work from home
– Work at the office
– Work some d ays from home and others f at the office

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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In general, the increase in the paid workload was directly related to an increase in
productivity since 39.5% of the staff who stated that their productivity increased also
identified an increase in their workload. This makes sense when considering that an
individual has a greater number of tasks to perform in the same amount of time, i.e., they
need to increase productivity to take care of everything. On the other hand, for 10.6% of
those who responded, the increase in workload had a negative impact on their productivity.

Now, paid work is no longer the only workload for people. In effect, the COVID-19
pandemic led to school closures and forced social isolation, which has impacted relationships
with unpaid work, domestic work and care, which will be explored further in the next section
of this document. By introducing one of the variables of unpaid work into the analysis of
productivity, specifically, living with children under 18 years of age, 26 it was identified that
the correlation between workload and productivity presents differences. In fact, the decrease
in workload has more positively affected the productivity of people who have children
compared to people who do not. For people who have children and identified an increase in
productivity, more than a third of them (37.9%) stated that their workload decreased. On the
other hand, among those who saw their productivity increase and do not have children, only
6.8% stated that their workload decreased.

26For the purposes of this analysis, the variable of children under 18 years of age considered only those people
who answered that they live with at least one child under 18 years of age and of whom they have total or partial
custody. It should be noted that there were not enough elements to determine the number of children each
person has. Furthermore, although caring for the elderly or people requiring special care was considered an
important component for the analysis, it could not be identified in this study.
Comentado [Ah11]: Graph 11. Workload
[% of total observations]

– Increased
– Decreased
– Remained the same
Comentado [Ah12]: Graph 12. Productivity

– Worsened
– Improved
– Remained the same

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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From the analysis of the data collected, we can conclude that the adoption of
teleworking was well received among the staff who responded to the survey since most of
them did not see their productivity negatively affected by the pandemic.

Although the pandemic has had devastating effects on some economic sectors, the
impacts have manifested in different ways. In the case of SAIs and considering the variables
analyzed here, 27 to a large extent, it would have been possible to comply with the exercise of
governmental external control without major difficulties.

In addition to the impact on the market and labor dynamics, to a greater or lesser
extent, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the way people relate to the world. Social
isolation and the closure of services, schools and nurseries have put the focus of life in the
private sphere, 28 which has generated various impacts for women, men, LGBTIQ+ people
and people of different ethno-racial backgrounds. The following section is focused on the
private sphere and will provide information to complete the analysis of the impact of
COVID-19 on staff working in OLACEFS’ member SAIs.

4.2 Impact on the private sphere

27The survey included other elements that contribute to the analysis of how COVID-19 affected SAI staff.
These will appear in the full report of the survey, published at https://genero.olacefs.com/ 28ILO (2020). Teleworking During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Practical Guide . p. 18. Recovered
from: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_protect/—protrav/—
travail/documents/publication/wcms_758007.pdf
Comentado [Ah13]: Graph 13. Change in
Productivity
[% of total observations indicating a decrease in
workload]

– Worsened
– Improved
– Remained the same

Without children
With children

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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The concepts of unpaid domestic and care work 29 refer to activities carried out, for the
most part, at home and free of charge. These ensure the production and reproduction of the
physical, material, emotional and even intellectual conditions for the reproduction of the
work force and for the existence of humanity. Domestic and care work have always been
considered an externality of the economic system (Carrasco, 2001). This invisible economy
has real impacts on the formal economy, and women’s lives. In Latin America, the value of
unpaid work is estimated to represent, to mention two examples, 15.2% of Ecuador’s GDP
and 22.9% of Uruguay’s GDP (ECLAC, 2019). The stereotype of the feminization of care
and the unequal sexual division of labor mainly attributes household responsibilities to
women. Before the pandemic, women in Latin America and the Caribbean spent three times
more time on unpaid care work than men (UN Women, 2020). Therefore, the social and
economic invisibility that care work constitutes reinforces gender inequalities.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mobility restriction measures, closure of spaces for
shopping, entertainment and leisure, adherence to teleworking and stay-at-home health
recommendations revealed the importance of housework. Globally, women and men saw an
increase in their domestic burden. However, the increase in domestic and care work has
impacted women more than men: while the amount of time spent on unpaid domestic work
increased 60% for women since the pandemic began, 30 this increase was just 54% for men.

The increase in time devoted to domestic and care work reflects an increase in total
work time ,31 a concept that includes paid work time – the sum of time spent on employment
or searching for it and commuting to work – and unpaid work time – the sum of time spent on
work where there is no payment or remuneration whatsoever, such as domestic and care
work, including the time used to make purchases of goods for home consumption. As can be
seen in the following figure, in Latin America, women invest more hours of their week to
housework and care; the number of total working hours of women is also greater than that of
men in more than half of the 16 countries surveyed.

29 UN Women. (n.d.). Unpaid care work. Obtained from the Gender Equality Glossary:
https://trainingcentre.unwomen.org/mod/glossary/view.php?id=36 30 UN Women (2020). Whose Time to Care? Unpaid Care and Domestic Work During COVID-19 . Obtained
from Data UN Women: https://data.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/Whose-time-to-care-brief_0.pdf 31 ECLAC (n.d.). Total Work Time . Obtained from the Gender Equality Observatory of Latin America and the
Caribbean: https://oig.cepal.org/es/indicadores/tiempo-total-trabajo

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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Figure 1 – Total work time
Latin America (16 countries): Average time spent on paid and unpaid work of the population aged 15 and over, by sex, by
country, for the latest available data (Average weekly hours)

SOURCE : ECLAC (2019). Repository of information on the use of time in Latin America and the Caribbean (online) https://oig.cepal.org/es/indicadores/tiempo-total-trabajo

Presented below are some elements related to the impact the pandemic had on the
private sphere of survey respondents. Domestic and care work, total work time, and factors
related to concerns over the pandemic are the components that guided this analysis.

As mentioned above, the pandemic has caused the temporary closure of schools and
daycare centers. Only 1.4% of the total staff surveyed who live with children under 18 years
of age stated that their children’s schools had not been closed. To this we must also add that
the support for the care of children provided by family members or domestic support staff
(babysitters) was also limited in response to the health recommendations for social isolation.

Taking these factors into account, SAI staff were asked to indicate who assumed most
of the extra work generated by the closure of schools. As a result, it was found that 33.2% of
women took on the bulk of the additional work with the support of someone else (partner,
family member or person hired for this purpose), compared to 9.4% of men who found
themselves in the same situation. The difference in the extra burden generated between
women and men by school closures is notorious.

However, gender inequality is even more evident among those who – without being
able to count on schools, nurseries or support networks – assumed the additional burden of
care work alone. These people represent 30.9% of the women in the sample and only 3.8% of
the men. That is, 64.1% 32 of women with children took on all or most of the extra work
generated by the school closures .33

32 64.1% corresponds to the sum of the 33.2% of women who did most of the work with the help of others and
the figure of 35.9% corresponding to women who did it alone. 33Other options” refers to the rest of the options included in the questionnaire, which indicated that the
household burden was mostly or completely delegated to another person..
Comentado [Ah14]: Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatamala
Honduras
Mexico
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Dominican Republic
Uraguay

– Women, Unpaid work time
– Women, Paid work time
– Men, Unpaid work time
– Men, Paid work time

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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Although women assumed most of the extra workload generated by the closure of
schools and nurseries, men were also affected in relation to domestic work, as 53.9% of the
total number of men in the sample reported an increase in these responsibilities.

However, the fact of living with children under 18 years of age increases this burden
since 59.7 % of men with children identified an increase compared to 50.0% of men without
children at home. Meanwhile, this factor has a greater impact on women, since 62.9% of
women reported an increase in the household burden compared to 67.3% of women living
with children. Unfortunately, the data is consistent with the gloomy global outlook that
indicates that the pandemic has intensified gender inequalities in the domestic sphere. 34

[Legend for figure 15:
(1) The results shown in the graph refer to the total sample of men and the total sample of women and not the
total sample in general, therefore, they do not add up to one hundred percent)
34UN Women (2020). Whose Time to Care? Unpaid Care and Domestic Work During COVID-19 . Obtained
from UN Women Data: https://data.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/Whose-time-to-care-brief_0.pdf
Comentado [Ah15]: Graph 14. Additional Domestic
load and Gender
[% of total observations in each gender, with children]

Man
Woman

– I alone
– I am in charge of most of the work, but have had help
from others
– Other
Comentado [Ah16]: Graph 15. Increase in domestic
workload
[% of total observations in each gender group]
-Men -Women
-Without children -With children

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
26

When examining the impact of the pandemic on the different ethno-racial groups, we
found that SAI staff who self-identify as Afro-descendant were the most affected compared
to the other groups in the domestic sphere. The data indicate that 67.0% of Afro-descendants
perceived an increase in the burden of domestic work, compared to 59.9% of the total sample.
Specifically, it is Afro-descendant men who mostly identify with this increase, corresponding
to 68.2% of the total 53.9% of men surveyed.

[Legend for figure 16:
(1) The results shown in the graph refer to the total sample of men and the total sample of women and not the
total sample in general, therefore, they do not add up to one hundred percent)

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and its Special
Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (REDESCA) have
indicated that, according to information from the World Bank and the Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Afro-descendant people report low
percentages in economic assets and formal jobs, a situation that tends to expose them to
situations of poverty in the countries of the region. They also emphasize that, within this
group, both women and Afro-descendant rural workers register the highest unemployment
and job insecurity figures compared to the general population. 35 The IACHR and REDESCA
35IACHR, The IACHR and its REDESCA call on the States of the region to guarantee the rights of Afro-
descendant Persons and prevent racial discrimination in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic . Press release
92/2020. Recovered from: https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/prensa/comunicados/2020/092.asp
Comentado [Ah17]: Graph 16. Domestic Work by
Ethnicity/Race and Gender
[% total of observations in each ethno-racial group]
Black or Afro-descendant
Mestizo ( Mixed or Mixed race if you prefer)
Indigenous
White ( Caucasian if you prefer)
Total
-Man -Wo man -Total

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
27

emphasize that the measures of containment and mandatory social isolation can differentially
impact the economic life of Afro-descendant persons. 36
The analysis of the impact of the pandemic on SAIs’ staff must be done with a holistic
view, i.e., it must be considered that the professional sphere is not completely separate from
the staff since they are different spheres, but with interdependent components. For this, the
time use tool (ECLAC, 2019) is useful to show, more objectively, that each of these areas has
a different weight for different social groups, which allows inequalities to be revealed.

The survey results 37 illustrated in the previous graph indicate that the average hours
dedicated to paid work are equivalent for men and women: 9.7 hours per day. Taking into
account that the target audience for the survey are people who work in SAIs, with stable
occupations and defined hours, a very large difference between the hours dedicated to work
was not expected. In any case, it is important to highlight that the average number of hours of
paid work exceeds 48 hours of the recommended maximum work week, which can be
harmful to the health of workers (ILO, n.d.).

[The highlighted text below should be presented in the diagrammed version of the report in an edited format,
probably as a text box]

36IACHR, The IACHR and its REDESCA call on the States of the region to guarantee the rights of People of
African Descent and prevent racial discrimination in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic . Press release
92/2020. Recovered from: https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/prensa/comunicados/2020/092.asp 37In the survey that was answered by SAI staff, the calculation of time per activity was collected from their
responses regarding the main activity they were exercising every 2 hours of the last business day.
The concept of paid work used in the survey included work performed for the SAI or other paid
work (including courses and training offered by the job and travel time for the job).

Comentado [Ah18]: Graph 17. Use of time and
Gender
Total hours
-Paid Work
-Domestic work
-Unpaid community work
-Leisure, rest, care
-Care work
-Education

Woman Man

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
28

On the other hand, men carry out leisure, rest and personal care activities, which are
important for well-being and health, for more hours of the day than women. They enjoy an
average of 8.9 hours for such activities, compared to women who enjoy an average of 7.4
hours to rest and take part in care and leisure activities, a total difference of 1.5 hours.

On the other hand, the results regarding the use of time confirm the asymmetry of
time devoted to domestic work and unpaid care between men and women. While women
dedicate an average of 5.2 hours of their day to care and domestic work, the same activities
take 3.7 hours a day for men. When this 1.5 hour-a-day difference is looked at on a weekly
basis, it verifies there is a 10.5 hour-a-week difference dedicated to care and domestic work
between women and men. This becomes even more critical when looked at on a monthly
basis since, on average, women work 42 more hours a month without pay, in other words,
one more work week than men. When comparing this result with the figure observed in
relation to leisure hours, it is found that, on average, men have 42 more hours per month for
these activities than women, which means one more work week of leisure, rest and personal
care activities.

[The highlighted text below should be presented in the diagrammed version of the report in an edited format,
probably as a text box]

Another activity that did not show a great difference between men and women was
education. This activity equates to an average of 1.5 hours a day for men and 1.4 for women.

[The highlighted text below should be presented in the diagrammed version of the report in an edited format,
probably as a text box]

The main conclusion of the analysis of this part of the survey is that gender inequality
is reflected in the time that women and men spend in their daily lives. Total working time
The concept of leisure, rest, personal care in the survey includes resting, sleeping, playing with the
cell phone or other technological devices, doing nothing, napping, showering, brushing teeth,
receiving a massage, eating, exercising, any other leisure activity, including travel time to perform
these tasks.

The concept of care work used in the survey refers to child care (including tasks related to hygiene,
food, leisure, help with homework, displays of affection, communication, guardianship), care of the
elderly, care of other adults, including travel time to perform these tasks. Meanwhile, the concept of
domestic work included in the questionnaire refers to food preparation, cooking, cleaning (washing
dishes, washing clothes), ironing, buying food or products for the home or family at the market (or
online), caring for pets, plants and the garden, making household arrangements, including travel time
to perform these tasks.

The concept of education included in the survey considers attending school, studying, participating in
related events, whether virtual or face-to-face (not offered in paid work), including travel time to
perform these tasks.

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
29

(paid and/or unpaid 38) is higher for women than for men since they work an average of 15.3
hours a day, as opposed to men, who average 13.7 hours a day.

While we do not have information on the use of time by SAI staff prior to the
pandemic to contrast with these findings, the evidence presented in this section – who took on
the extra work generated by the closure of schools and the perception of the increase in
domestic work – presents us with a clear picture of how the crisis caused by COVID-19 has
had different effects for the different groups that make up the SAIs of OLACEFS.

4.3 Issues and concerns

The pandemic has also caused some issues and concerns that impact the health and
well-being of staff. In general terms, the issues most mentioned by those who participated in
the survey were stress (49.8%), anxiety (43.9%), trouble sleeping (31.9%) extreme concern
(21%) and even depression (16.7%). The staff surveyed had the option of choosing more than
one issue, so it is possible that some reported more than one concern.

[Legend for graph 18: (1) The sum of the percentages does not add up to one hundred percent because the surveyed staff had the option of choosing more than one issue.]

38Unpaid work also includes unpaid community work: volunteering, activism, condominium or union meetings,
etc.
Comentado [Ah19]: Graph 18. Issues arising from
COVID-19
[% total of observations in each issue]
-Violence
-Alcohol and drug abuse
-Discrimination
-Despair
-Anger, on the verge of exploding
-Depression
-Extreme concern
-Trouble sleeping
-Anxiety
-Stress

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
30

[Legend for graph 19: (1) The sum of the percentages for each gender group does not add up to 100 percent because the surveyed staff had the option of choosing more than one issue.]
When analyzing the issues experienced by SAI staff, in general, regarding the
pandemic according to gender, some issues were significantly more prevalent among women.
Women reported proportionally more issues than men and people identified as “other.” Thus,
it is observed that, of the total number of people who have indicated having issues derived
from COVID-19, women are more affected by issues such as depression (55.9%), concern
(63.6%), anxiety (57.5 %), anger (63.4%), discrimination (55.2%), despair (55.2%) and
trouble sleeping (50.3%). In the particular case of violence, of the total number of people who
answered they had suffered violence, in general, during the pandemic, 64.5% were men and
35.5% were women.

By analyzing these data in light of sexual orientation, it is possible to identify how the
pandemic has generated even more concerns and issues for bisexual and homosexual people,
who reported being affected, respectively, to a greater extent by anxiety (81.4% and 73.1%),
stress (80.6% and 74.8%), trouble sleeping (68.9% and 65.9%), depression (64.7% and
15.7%) and despair (54.9% and 14.3%). On this point, we recall what has already been stated
regarding the underrepresentation of the LGBTIQ+ population.
Comentado [Ah20]: Graph 19. Issues arising from
COVID-19 and Gender
[% total of observations by Gender]
-Depression
-Concern
-Anxiety
-Anger
-Stress
-Violence
-Discrimination
-Despair
-Trouble sleeping
-Alcohol and drug abuse

Man Woman

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
31

[Legend for graph 20:
(1) The sums of the percentages for each sexual orientation group do not add up to 100 percent because the
surveyed staff had the option of choosing more than one issue.

When asked about the causes that gave rise to the issues described above, a majority
stated concerns over their health and that of their families (62.3%), followed by the mobility
restriction factors (29.8%), the loss of family/friend networks due to isolation (20.0%) and
financial stress (18.9%), among others.

[Legend for graph 21:
(1) The sums of the percentages do not add up to one hundred percent because the surveyed staff had the option
of choosing more than one issue.
Comentado [Ah21]: Graph 20. Issues arising from
COVID-19 and Sexual Orientation
[% total of observations in each sexual orientation
group]
-Depression
-Extreme concern
-Anxiety
-Anger, on the verge of exploding
-Stress
-Violence
-Discrimination
-Despair
-Trouble sleeping
-Alcohol and drug abuse

Heterosexual – Bisexual – Homosexual
Comentado [Ah22]: Graph 21. Factors causing
issues
[% total of observations in each factor]
-Conflicts at work
-Conficts at home
-Financial stress
-Lack of access to basic services and/or…
-Lack of attention in health centers for the pandemic
-Concern for their health and that of their family
-Loss of family/friendship networks due to the…

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
32

4.4 Domestic and gender-based violence

Gender-based violence (GBV) (UN Women, n.d.) 39 is the extreme expression of
gender inequality that is linked to power relations and greatly affects women and girls as one
in three have been subjected to physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives (WHO,
2017). However, acts of violence and discrimination are not exclusive to the female gender
since the LGBTIQ+ population also suffers from violence due to their gender identity and/or
sexual orientation.

One of the most common manifestations of gender-based violence occurs within the
family. Violence against women in the private sphere or intrafamily violence refers to
mistreatment or patterns of behavior that are used to gain or maintain power and control over
the other who, in many cases, is an intimate partner. 40 In America, 30% of women have
reported physical and/or sexual violence by a partner (PAHO, 2020).

When referring to violence that occurs in the domestic sphere, there will be men who
are also subjected to violence, whose partners (or former partners) are the perpetrators of the
violence. However, it is important to emphasize that the patriarchal structure that supports the
dominance of male power over the female gender or over the non-conforming gender 41 (or on
the mere perception of non-conformity) is not the supporting basis of these acts of violence,
contrary to gender violence. The evidence shows that, in the case of domestic violence
against men, there is a high probability that women are acting in self-defense, while, in
relation to women as objects of violence, it is motivated by the need to control, i.e., for power
(Swan, Gambone, Caldwell, Sullivan & Snow, 2008).

As the crisis caused by COVID-19 deepens economic and social stress along with
measures of social isolation, gender-based violence has increased exponentially, what the
United Nations has called “the shadow pandemic” (UN Women, 2020). Collecting data on
domestic violence during the pandemic was challenging, but one of the indications of the
increase in cases was the number of calls to helplines, which has increased fivefold in some
countries. 42 Therefore, confinement presents a great challenge since, for many survivors of
domestic violence, going to work is a necessary respite from the unpredictability of partner
abuse, as more immediate dangers may be faced inside the home than outside. 43

It would initially appear that domestic violence does not impact work activity.
However, there are indications that women are less productive at work when they are
39 UN Women. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions: Types of Violence Against Women and Girls . Retrieved
from https://www.unwomen.org/es/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/faqs/types-of-violence 40 United Nations. (n.d.). What Is Domestic Abuse? Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/what-is-
domestic-abuse 41 Planned Parenthood. (n.d.). Transgender identity terms and labels . Obtained from
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/es/temas-de-salud/identidad-de-genero/trans-e-identidades-de-genero-no-
conforme/etiquetas-y-terminos-de-la- transgender-identity 42 UN Women. (2020). COVID-19 and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls. Retrieved from
https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2020/issue-brief-
covid-19-and-ending-violence-against-women-and-girls- en.pdf? la = en & vs = 5006 43 UN Women. (2020). Domestic Violence During COVID-19: Guidance Tool for Employers, Employers, and
Businesses . Retrieved from https://www2.unwomen.org/-
/media/field%20office%20mexico/documentos/publicaciones/2020/junio%202020/violencia%20domstica%20d
urante%20la%20covid19%20herramienta%20de%20orientacin%20para%20empleadores%20empleadoras%20y
%20empre.pdf?la=es&vs=503

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
33

exposed to domestic violence. This results in significant work time loss, staff turnover, poor
performance, safety risks, negative effects on interpersonal relationships in the workplace, 44
and possible decreased concentration on job performance as a result of the trauma of having
been exposed violence (UN Women, 2019).
Due to the sensitivity of the matter, the approach to violence in the survey conducted
with SAI staff was carried out indirectly. In that sense, they were asked what factors they
considered problematic since the pandemic started.

Of the total number of people who responded to the survey, 8.2% indicated having
conflicts at home in the context of the social isolation generated by the pandemic.

Of the total number of people who acknowledged having conflicts at home
(corresponding to 8.2% in the previous graph), the following graph emerges that shows the
total percentage of those who answered they had specifically suffered violence, with 7.8%
responding affirmatively and 92% negatively. The total number of people who answered that
they had been victims of violence is equivalent to 0.6% of the total staff surveyed.

:

44UNDP. (2013). Violence against women also hurts business and development . Retrieved from
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourperspective/ourperspectivearticles/2013/03/29/violence-
against-women-also-hurts-business-and-development.html
Comentado [Ah23]: Graph 22. Conflicts at home
[% total of observations]

-Has not had conflict
-Has had conflic t

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
34

Of the total number of people who confirmed to have suffered violence at home
(corresponding to 7.8% of the previous graph), 70% are women and 30% are men.

In other words, 1 out of every 125 women surveyed stated they had experienced
situations of domestic violence once the pandemic started. Among men, 1 in 250 reported the
same. Of these, 59.1% of the women and 63.8% of the men affirmed that their (former)
partners were the perpetrators of the violence.

Comentado [Ah24]: Graph 23. Conflicts at home and
violence
[% total of observations of people that have had conflict
at home]

-Have not suffered violence
-Have suffered violence
Comentado [Ah25]: Graph 24. Violence at home and
Gender
[% total of observations of people that have suffered
violence at home]

-Women
-Men

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
35

To capture the actual incidence of cases of domestic and gender-based violence,
specific research is required. However, any and all types of violence, particularly those that
are underreported (such as domestic violence), need to be prioritized in their management.
Regardless of the numbers, instruments are necessary to direct people who have suffered
violence to specialized services that can provide them with victim-based quality support. 45

4.5 Violence and harassment at work 46

Decent work 47 is a priority goal at the global level that was adopted and included in
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This goal aims to ensure that all people can
work in conditions of freedom, dignity and security. Problems such as violence and
harassment in the world of work deprive people of their dignity, are incompatible with decent
work and jeopardize the rights to equal opportunities and a healthy and productive work
environment (ILO, 2019).

Workplace violence affects all people in all sectors of the world economy, both public
and private, formal and informal. Without any company or profession being exempt, it has
been found that women, in particular, are the ones who most frequently suffer violence in the
workplace, whether through psychological pressure, differential treatment, teasing, insults or
sexual harassment. This type of violence is not exclusive to the female gender since it also
affects men and the LGBTIQ+ population.
45For more information regarding data collection on violence against women and girls in the context of COVID-
19, see: https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2020/brief-
violence-against-women-and-girls-data-collection-during-covid-19-es. pdf? la = es & vs = 3720 46Violence and harassment are defined as “behaviors, actions or threats that have as their object, that cause or
are likely to cause, physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm to the person who suffers it (ILO, n.d.) 47SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth.
Comentado [Ah26]: Graph 25. Authors of Violence
and Gender
[% total of observations that indicated having
experienced violence at home]
Partners or ex-partners
Others

-Man -Woman

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
36

The highlighted text below should be presented in the diagrammed version of the report in an edited
format, probably as a text box]

6.8% of the staff who responded to the survey reported that, once the COVID-19
crisis began, they had experienced work-related conflicts, which has caused them some issues
and concerns. Among these, 35.3% stated they considered the conflict as an act of violence or
workplace harassment. The results did not find gender bias in the incidence of workplace
violence.

[Legend for figure 26:
(1) The sum of the percentages may not add up to one hundred percent due to rounding of figures.]

When looking at the incidence of workplace violence among groups of different
sexual orientations, of the total number of people who indicated having suffered violence at
work, 92% are heterosexual, 3.9% correspond to other categories, 3.3% are homosexual and
0.4% bisexual. Considering the sexual orientation of the survey respondents, it was found that
the non-heterosexual population has a higher incidence of workplace violence than the
heterosexual population.

Noteworthy is the particular case of LGBTIQ+ workers who, for fear of being victims of
discrimination and violence, often keep their sexual orientation secret, even resorting to
changing their partner’s name during conversations, or simply avoid talking about their private
life. This situation can cause considerable distress and consequently reduce productivity at work
(ILO, 2012).

Comentado [Ah27]: Graph 26. Work-related violence
[% total of observations indicating to have experienced
conflict at work]

-No -Yes

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
37

It is urged that SAIs’ policies for confronting violence or harassment at the workplace
take into account that the causes of acts of violence may be different depending on the
individual they fall on. Therefore, it is important to understand how the work environment
can even reproduce patterns of behavior so that action can be taken, not only in the area of
investigation and punishment of the perpetrators, but also in the generation of a diverse and
inclusive environment, where any acts of violence and harassment are unacceptable.
5. Conclusions and steps forward
The survey findings denote the reality faced by people who work in OLACEFS’ member
entities. The numbers indicate that what happens within the control entities is not far from
what has been reported by different international entities in terms of the differential impact
that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on women and for groups who have historically been
discriminated against. This study also affirms that, in SAIs, there is a considerable under-
representation of people with diverse sexual orientation, as well as members of indigenous
and Afro-descendant populations.
The pandemic caused SAIs to adopt, at least partially, the modality of teleworking. The
analysis showed that this modality increased productivity for a third of the staff (39.5%) and,
for the majority, productivity did not change. Additionally, most of the staff (88.2%) stated
that, if given a choice, they would stick with the telework model, either completely or
partially.
From these report findings, it is worth noting that the COVID-19 crisis increased the
burden of domestic work for men and women who work in OLACEFS’ SAIs, although the
increase was even more evident for women. This is coupled with the fact that women were
already primarily responsible for domestic and care work prior to the pandemic. Thus, 64.1%
of women with children under the age of 18 were responsible for most, or all, of the extra
work generated by school closures.
Total working time (paid and/or unpaid) is higher for women than for men since they
work an average of 15.3 hours a day compared to the 13.7 hours that men dedicate to the
same – paid or not. This implies that women have one more week of work per month than
men who, meanwhile, dedicate that time to leisure activities, rest and personal care.
Among the issues generated by the pandemic, staff were most affected by stress, anxiety,
trouble sleeping, extreme concern and depression.
Domestic violence – considered the “shadow pandemic” – has a terrifying trajectory these
days. Although the analysis identified few specific cases, gender-based violence was already
a situation experienced by 1 in 3 women worldwide. This means that within the leadership
Comentado [Ah28]: Graph 27. % total of the people
who have suffered work-related violence
[% total of observations]
-Heterosexual
-Other categories
-Homosexual
-Bisexual

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
38

team and staff of any institution, it is likely there are women who are suffering from domestic
violence right now. Specifically, the total number of people who answered that they had been
victims of domestic violence is equivalent to 0.6% of the total staff surveyed.
The GTG will use this assessment to prepare the Policy on Gender Equality and Non-
Discrimination, which will be available this year.
Also, the GTG will soon have available the complete report of the Survey on the Impact
of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Staff of OLACEFS’ member SAIs, a document that will
make recommendations for the Supreme Audit Institutions of Latin America and the
Caribbean that allow them to contribute to mitigating the assessed effects.

6. References

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OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
39

ECLAC (May 2020) Report on the economic impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Latin
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20sexual%20o%20econ%C3%B3mico%22.
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helpdesk/WCMS_152362/lang–es/index.htm

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40

ILO (2019). Eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work . Retrieved from
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notes/Spanish/spspecial-series-on-covid19issues-when-cutting-government-pay-to-help-
reshuffle-spending-in-a-crisis.ashx?la=en
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institutions-making-a-difference-to-the-lives-of-citizens/
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community-fares-in-the-workplace#

OECD (2020). Covid-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Overview of Government
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gobdamientos-a-la- crisis-7d9f7a2b /
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contra-mujer
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identidades-de-genero-no-conforme/etiquetas-y-terminos-de-la-identidad-transgenero

Save the Children (2014). Generating Transformational Change: Save the Children’s Gender
Equality Program Guide and Toolkit. Retrieved from
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transversalizacion_de_genero_sci_2015_small.pdf
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erales_sobre_violencia_de_genero_en_el_ambito_laboral_para_los_centros_de_trabajo_en_
Mexico.pdf

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
41

UNDP (2013). Violence against women also hurts business and development . Retrieved from
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9/violence-against-women-also-hurts-business-and-development.html
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UN Women (2019). Handbook “Addressing violence and harassment against women in the world of
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/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2019/addressing-violence-and-
harassment-against-women-in-the-world-of-work-en.pdf?la=en&vs=4050
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OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
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covid-19-en-los-resultados-del-mercado-laboral-lecciones-que-ofrecen

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7. Glossary 48

Item Definition
Gender analysis A process through which data and information about the specific situations, role s,
responsibilities, needs and opportunities of girls, boys, adult women and men are
collected, analyzed and interpreted to identify and understan d the reason for the
differences between the groups and learn how issues affect women and men
differently. The resulting information will make the inequalities between women
and men visible, which will need to be addressed when they constitute unfair gaps
for both. 49
Sexual Harassment The term ‘violence and harassment’ in the world of work designates a set of
unacceptable behaviors and practices, or threats of such behaviors and practice s,
whether manifested once or repeatedly, that are intended to caus e or are likely to
cause physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm, and includes gender –
based violence an d harassment. 50
Gender discrimination Any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which, on a basis
of equality of men and women, has the purpose or effect of impairing or nullifying
the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of human rig hts and fundamental freedoms
in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil , or any other sphere .51
Sexual (or gender)
division of labor
Refers to the way in which each society divides labor between men and women,
boys and girls, according to gender roles that are socially e stablished or considered
app ropriate and valued for each sex. 52
Intersectional approach Approach that analyzes the convergence of different types of discrimination based
on race, and social and economic condition: adolescent woman, Afro-descendan t,
with incomplete primary school, mother of a child, without paid work a nd suffering
violence from her partner .53
Gender stereotypes S implistic generalized preconceptions of gender attributes, differences, and the
roles of women and men.
Gender Refers to the roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a giv en society at a
given time consider s appropriate for men a nd women. 54.
Gender equality Refers to the equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of women and men
and girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will be equal, but
that the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men will not
depend on whether they were born with a certain sex. Ge nder equality implies that
the interests, needs, and priorities of women and men are taken into account,
recognizing the diversit y of different groups of women and men. Gender equality is
48 Definitions taken from the OLACEFS GTG Glossary, retrieved from: https://genero.olacefs.com/, except for
terms in which an alternate source is indicated. 49 Save the Children (2014). Generating Transformational Change: Save the Children’s Gender Equality
Program Guide and Toolkit. Retrieved from
https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/sites/default/files/documents/recursos_-
transversalizacion_de_genero_sci_2015_small.pdf 50 ILO. (2019). Provisional Records of the International Labor Conference. Retrieved from
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_norm/—
relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_711244.pdf 51 United Nations, (1979). 58/145 “Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women.” Article 1 52 UN Women Gender Equality Glossary, retrieved from: https://trainingcentre.unwomen.org/mod/
glossary/view.php?id=150&mode=le&lang=es 53 (Save the Children, 2014) 54 UN Women. (n.d.). Women Watch Concepts and Definitions. Retrieved from
https://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/conceptsandefinitions.htm

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
44

not a women’s issue, but it concerns and involves both men and wom en. Equality
between women and men is considered an issu e of human rights and both a
requirement and an indicator of people -centere d development.
Sexual orientation Refers to the emotional, affective and sexual attraction for people of a gender other
than theirs, or of the same gender, or of more than one gender, as well as intimat e
and/or sexual relationships with these people. Sexua l orientation is a broad concept
that creates space for self-identification. Additionally, sexual orientation can va ry
along a continuum, including exclusive and non-exclusive attraction to the same o r
opposite sex. All people have a sexual orientation, wh ich is inherent to the identity
of the person .55
Social representations Symbolic structures that have their origin in the creative capacity of the human
psych e and in t he bo un dar ies imposed by social dyna mics.
Sex The word sex refers to the differences be tween men and women given by their
biological and physiological condition. These diff erences have to do mainly with
chromosomal, hormonal, genital and reprodu ctive char acteris tic s.56
Mainstreaming of the
Gender Equality
approach

It is a methodological strategy that considers the implications, for men and women,
of any action planned and implemented in all areas and level s of programming and
policies. It seeks to benefit men and women equitably with measure s that promote
the re duction of inequalities and th e redistribution of power .57

55IACHR. (2017). Gender Identity, and Equality and Non-Discrimination of Same Sex Couples. Obtained from
https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/opiniones/seriea_24_esp.pdf 56UNODC. (2019). General guidelines on gender violence in the workplace for work centers in Mexico.
Obtained from
https://www.unodc.org/documents/mexicoandcentralamerica/2020/Mexico/Lineamientos_generales_sobre_viol
encia_de_genero_en_el_ambito_laboral_para_los_centros_de_trabajo_en_Mexico.pdf 57(Save the Children, 2014)

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8. List of Acronyms

Acronyms M eaning
ECLAC Economic Commis sion for Latin America and the Car ibbean
IACHR Inter -American Commission on Huma n Right s
I/A Court H .R. Inter -Ameri can Court of Hum an Rig hts
EFS Supreme Audit Institu tions
GTG OLACEFS ’ Working Group on Gender Equality and N on -Discrimination
INTOSAI Inte rnational Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
IMF International Monetar y Fund
LG BTIQ + Le sbians, Gays, Bi sexual s, Transsexuals and Tr ansvestite , Intersex, Quee r
SDG Sustainable Development Goals
ILO International La bour Organi zation
OLACEFS La tin American and Caribbean Organization of Supreme Audi t Institutions
WHO World Health Org anizati on
PAHO Pan American Health Organization
REDESCA Special Rapporteur o n Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights
UN United Nations
UNODC United Nations Office on Drug s and Crime

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9. Annexes

ANNEX 1.
Statistics on Responses to the Survey on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the staff
of OLACEFS’ member SAIs
Country Supreme Audit Institution Universe Number of
Answers
Response rate
with respect to
the universe
Argen tina General Audit Office of the Nat ion of Argentina 13 20 265 5%
Belize Office of the Audit or Genera l of Beli ze 42 10 0%
Bolivia Office of the General Comptroller of the
Plurinational State of Bolivi a
312 286 5%
Brazil Federa l Court of Accounts (TCU -Brazil ) 2369 108 2%
Chile Office of the Comptroller General of the
Republic of C hile
2102 851 16%
Colombia Office of the Comptroller General of the
Republic of Colombia
4000 1031 19%
Costa Rica Office of the Comptroller General of the
Republic of Costa Rica
703 138 3%
Cuba Office of the Comptroller General of the
Re pub lic of Cuba
1240 80 1%
Curaz ao Office of the Com ptroller General of Curazao 30 0 0%
Ecuador Office of the Comptroller General of the
Republic o f Ecuador
2513 691 13%
El Salvador Court of Accounts of the Republic of El
Salvador
1321 6 0%
Guatemala Office of the Comptroller General of Accounts
of the Republic of Guatemala
2311 1017 19%
Honduras Supreme Court of Auditors of the Republic of
Hondur as
660 144 3%
Mexico* Superior Audit Office of the Federation of
Mexico
3106 0 0%
Nicaragua Office of the Comptroller General of the
Rep ublic of Nicaragua
443 281 5%
Panama Office of the Comptroller General of the
Republic of Cuba
3660 40 1%
Paraguay Office of the Comptroller General of the
Republic of Paraguay
940 81 1%
Peru Office of the Comptroller General of the
Republic of Cu ba
2989 106 2%
Puerto Rico Office of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico
520 186 3%
Dom.
Republic
Chamber of Accounts of the Dominican
Republ ic
520 38 1%
Uruguay Court of Accounts of the Oriental Republic of
Urugua y
376 59 1%
Venezuela Office of the Comptroller General of the
Bolivarian Republ ic of Venezuela
662 38 1%

OLACEFS Working Group on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination
47

Total OLACEFS 32139 5456
* The y have no t participated in the survey

ANNEX 2.
Correction factor:
Country Supreme Audit Institution Value
Ar gen tina General Audit Offic e of the Nation of Argentina 0.93704295
Belize Office of the Audit or Genera l of Beli ze 0.79009758
Bolivia Offi ce of the Compt roller General of the Plurinationa l State of Bolivia 0.20522015
Brazil Federal Court of Accoun ts (TCU -Br azil ) 4.12641349
Chile Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of C hile 0.46465925
Colombia Office of the Comptroller Genera l of the Republic of Colombia 0.7298485 8
Costa Rica Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Cost a Rica 0.9 5831366
Cuba Off ice of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Cuba 2.9158 3629
Ecuador Office of the Comptroller General of the Rep ublic of Ecuador 0.6841414 1
El Salvador Court of Accounts of the Republic of El Salvador 41.4174166
Guatemala Office of the Comptroller General of Accounts of the Republic of
Guatemala 0.42747472
Honduras Supreme Court of Auditors of the Republi c of Hon duras 0.86220966
Nicaragu a Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Nicaragua 0.29657111
Panam a Office of the Comptr oller General of the Republic of Cuba 17.2128401
Paraguay Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Paragu ay 2.183 10324
Peru Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Cuba 5.30458593
Puerto Rico Office of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 0.52592261
Dom . Republic Chamber of Accoun ts of the Dominican Republic 2.57425275
Uruguay Court of Accounts of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay 1.19885669
Venezuela Office of the Comptroller General of the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela 3.27722178