Thirty years on: macroeconomic trajectory and the challenge of a feminist fiscal policy for Latin America

Geoghegan V.S.; Miranda P.; Berdeja D. · Gender and Development (2025) · DOI: 10.1080/13552074.2025.2570586

Resumen

This article analyses the evolution of the context and fiscal policies in Latin America 30 years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BDPfA). The extractive economic growth model did not generate enough quality jobs to guarantee women’s economic autonomy throughout their life cycle, while the demographic transition has driven ageing, undermining the prospects for sustainable growth and debt, and put pressure on women’s unpaid work. In addition, fiscal policies were insufficient to achieve productive transformation and finance the policies that women need through fair tax systems. Public indebtedness, as a component of fiscal policy, has led to austerity policies in the context of also increasing household indebtedness. All these factors reduce the chances of achieving the objectives of the BDPfA in the region. A feminist fiscal policy is needed to eliminate gender biases from all its components–spending, tax revenue, debt–and to fairly finance the policies that women need, including the structural transformation of the productive model. These measures would prioritise the sustainability of life instead of ever-increasing capital gains.