Pensions and Gender in Latin American Social Protection Systems : Where Do We Stand in the Southern Cone?

Social security-pension system reforms were one of the main areas of social policy changes in Latin America during the 80s and 90s. Apparently, the debate and design of the reforms implicitly assumed that they were neutral in terms of their effect on men and women. This article discusses comparatively the gender situation arising from four major cases in the region (Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay) that adopted different "structural" and "parametric" models of reform. I summarise results of a sub-regional study carried out by the International Labour Office (ILO) on the impact of the pension reforms on gender gaps coverage and replacement rates. Finally, I argue that the contributory nature of the prevailing social security-pension programs should be examined in a more comprehensive view of possible and financially viable social protection systems