The OECD review of Gender Equality in Colombia is the third in a collection of reports focussing on Latin America and Caribbean countries, after previous reviews that focused on Chile and Peru, respectively. It puts gender gaps in labour and educational outcomes in Colombia into a comparative context, and analyses the factors that contribute to unequal outcomes, including the uneven distribution of unpaid work. It discusses how existing policies and programmes in Colombia can contribute to improving gender equality and, in particular, increasing men’s participation in unpaid work.

Educational attainments have progressed at all levels for women, encouraged by higher returns to education and the prospect of greater labour market inclusion. Today young women out-perform young men in terms of educational attainments: among 25‑34 year‑olds, the share of tertiary graduates is 35% for women and 27% for men.

This chapter reviews the evidence on gender gaps in economic and educational outcomes in Colombia. It starts with an overview of gender gaps in educational and labour market outcomes across different dimensions (enrolment and out-of-school rates, skills outcomes, along with labour market participation, gender pay gaps and the interactions between motherhood and access to quality jobs). It then discusses the factors contributing to these gaps (the unbalanced distribution of unpaid care and domestic work, gender-based stereotypes, the role of legal barriers, the access to care facilities, infrastructural barriers, and gender-based violence). In addition to comparing Colombia with OECD and other Latin American countries, the chapter addresses the articulation of gender differences across socio‑economic groups. This includes paying attention to urban and rural differences, along with differences across educational attainments, age cohorts, and income.

This chapter argues that achieving a better sharing of paid and unpaid work between men and women in Colombia requires a comprehensive policy strategy and presents a holistic framework for its development using two policy axes. The first axis focuses on the policies aimed at reducing the barriers that stand in the way of a more equitable division of time and responsibilities between partners: creating a more effective care system, expanding parental leave and reducing the transmission of gender stereotypes through the education system. The second includes the policies that aim to improve the participation of women in the labour market by ensuring girls’ access and enrolment in the education system, promoting women in non-traditional careers and leadership positions, supporting female entrepreneurship, and fighting gender-based violence. This chapter reviews each area in detail and provides policy insights for possible improvements.