Shadow Report on the Implementation of SDG 15.2 in Paraguay from the Prespective of Women Inés Franceschelli, HEÑÓI

Police protect pesticide spraying in Paraguay. Luis Wagner Shadow Report on the Implementation of SDG 15.2 in Paraguay from the Prespective of Women Inés Franceschelli, HEÑÓI Executive Summary I learned that the future For years, Paraguay has generates greater of the world is in our experienced an accelerated rate of economic growth than in hands, in the hands of deforestation as a result of other countries in the poor women. If it were up sustained growth in the production region, but without to them, we could write it of export goods, especially benefitting the off, but we are going to genetically modified soybeans in population, which grows keep fighting. [1] the eastern region of the country more impoverished and beef in the west. The every day. In this environmental destruction is also unfavorable scenario, women and chains for soybeans and beef. aggravated by the massive and girls suffer particularly serious These measures are sponsored by abusive use of pesticides. Both impacts. the United Nations Development factors generate a wide range of Programme (UNDP) and Food and social conflicts related to disputes The measures implemented to Agriculture Organization (FAO), over land, peasant and indigenous “meet the Sustainable organizations that in theory should resistance to monocultures, and Development Goals” are false to be committed to economic and the criminalization of social say the least; they are focused on social transformations that favor a activists. the production of eucalyptus more equitable and sustainable monocultures and the society. All government measures aim to incorporation of peasant farms and favor this productive model that indigenous communities into value Shadow Report: the Implementation of SDG 15.2 in Paraguay 1 Introduction The Paraguayan State has signed a objectives are, in addition to basic the opposite social dynamic; the commitment to achieve, by 2020, human rights, crucial for reversing productive practices that dominate an end to all forms of the alarming inequality generated the country’s economy have discrimination against women and by the national economy due to generated rates of deforestation girls (SDG 5), and to achieve unsustainable productive practices. that are unprecedented in the sustainable management of all If the empowerment of women world, as well as poverty and types of forests, halt deforestation, and girls has a multiplier effect and migration, with a particularly restore degraded forests and helps to promote economic growth severe impact on women and girls. increase afforestation and and development at the global reforestation (SDG 15.2). Both level, Paraguay is an example of Brief evaluation and key statistics regarding the current status of the country’s implementation of SDG 5 and SDG 15 Achieve Sustainable Development Poverty affects 28.98 percent of Goal 15.2: Protecting, the urban population and 34.76 reestablishing and promoting the percent of the rural population. [2] sustainable use of land ecosystems This reality directly impedes and managing forests sustainably progress toward meeting all of the implies critically observing the Sustainable Development Goals basis of Paraguay’s economy. and affects women and girls in particular. In Paraguay, there are currently about 5.5 million hectares planted, This is because, first of all, the of which 94% are destined for expansion of extensive production 2013, the export markets. In 2017, the requires land, which has led to a proportion country exported more than process of urbanization that, had increased to 300,000 tons of beef and more although among the slowest in the 59.9%. [3] than 11.5 million tons of grain, region, has pushed families to the including GMO soybeans, GMO peripheries of cities and into Second, social exclusion affects the corn and rice (Heñói 2018). conditions of unhealthiness, education and health of women However, Paraguay, with a overcrowding, unemployment and more than that of men. In population of only 7 million, is underemployment. The 1992 Paraguay, compulsory basic home to more than 1 million census indicated for the first time education consists of nine years, people living in poverty and that over half of the while full schooling (primary and extreme poverty, most of them population—50.3%—was already secondary education) includes 12 peasants and indigenous peoples. living in urban communities; by years. However, the average 2 Shadow Report: the Implementation of SDG 15.2 in Paraguay number of years of schooling women’s participation in decision- according to indicators established completed among the urban making, Paraguay is making only to monitor progress towards the population is 10.3 for men and very gradual process toward achievement of the SDGs. This 10.2 for women; among the rural women’s incorporation: in 2000, includes the following figures: population, these figures drop to 7 the share of seats held by women years for men and 6.8 years for in the nation’s parliament and local • Forest area as a proportion of women. Illiteracy affects 3.7% of governments was 2.5%; in 2017, the total land area: 2000: urban women and 10.2% of rural that rate grew to 11% in 48.75% (19,368,000 has) / 2015: women, rates that are higher than parliament and to 13.75% if local 38.57% (15,323,000 has) for men. governments are included. Meanwhile, the percentage of • Proportion of important sites for Third, women, despite being heads women that occupy managerial terrestrial and freshwater of household in 36.4% of positions grew from 34.6% in 2007 biodiversity that are covered by Paraguayan homes, [4] earn to 38.7% in 2015. [6] protected areas, by ecosystem approximately 70.6% of what type: 2000: 24.5% / 2015: 24.5% men earn, regardless of Other data that illustrates the (no change) educational level or social reality includes the Palma hours worked. The ratio, which in Paraguay is 4.2 [7] • Net change in forest area: 2010: rate of (the wealthiest 10% receive as a -8.25 / 2015: -9.60 proportion of total income more than quadruple that of the poorest The advance of genetically 40% of the population). modified monocultures in the Meanwhile, regarding the eastern region displaced distribution of expenses in the traditional livestock production in National General Budget for 2016, the country to the western region, for purposes and functions, Gs. an extensive subtropical plain 1.09 1.525 trillion is assigned to million km2 in size known as the National Security Services versus Paraguayan Chaco. The increase in Gs. 85.132 billion assigned to cattle ranching in the Paraguayan Ecology and Environment; [8] the Chaco has fueled unprecedented budget for the environment is rates of deforestation. The Chaco equal to 5.6% of military spending. ecosystems are deeply affected by extractive industry activity and the In any case, beyond the increasing concentration of land, Rural communities are underemployment participation of women as with serious impacts on forced to live with is 23.1% for women proactive actors—or as victims—of biodiversity and especially on the industrial soy and 18.7% for men, the productive model, the State’s local population, as 15 indigenous production. Luis Wagner while women’s commitment to achieving SDG 15.2 groups reside in the Chaco, [10] unemployment rate is 6.1%, is observable in a country that comprising 48% of the country’s compared to 3.9% among men. lacks official data on deforestation, total indigenous population Unemployment for young women but that registers a rate of (117,150 people); [11] this includes is 10.7%, demonstrating a kind of deforestation that we estimate to groups that maintain voluntary double inequality based on sex be approximately 300,000 hectares isolation. and age. [5] per year from 2004 to the present. [9] Finally, if the political, economic and social changes necessary to The country has reported to the achieve the SDGs depended on United Nations the required data Shadow Report: the Implementation of SDG 15.2 in Paraguay 3 4. Analysis of progress and challenges regarding SDG 15.2 In April of 2017, in New York, Departments of Caaguazú and platform developed by the national authorities received Caazapá from January to April of Management Systems for effusive congratulations from U.S. 2018, in which successive concerns Governance (SIGOB), which would economist Jeffrey Sachs, who were raised about the impact of serve as a basic tool for measuring expressed “admiration for monoculture tree plantations near the implementation of the SDGs. Paraguay for its commitment and their communities, the impact of The second was an agreement with progress toward implementing fumigations and pressure for land FAO regarding “the strengthening of the 2030 Agenda.” [12] However, exerted by large landowners. capacities for measurement and the first meeting organized by the Paraguayan authorities appear to reporting on the Sustainable Ministry of Foreign Relations with ignore all of these concerns. Development Goals in the countries members of the private sector of South America” that involved and civil society to include them In 2017, the Ministry of Foreign coordinated work with Paraguay’s in the effort to achieve the SDGs Relations signed two agreements. General Directorate of Statistics, was held only recently in 2018. The first was a convention with the Surveys and Censuses (DGGEC). [13] Civil society, on the other UNDP on “Support for Inter- hand, does discuss these issues. Institutional Coordination of the At no point were civil society An example is the debate process SDGs” that established the hiring of organizations called on in order to carried out by peasant and an operational secretary and involve them in the process of indigenous women in the envisaged the use of a computing implementation of actions aimed at 4 Shadow Report: the Implementation of SDG 15.2 in Paraguay achieving the SDGs.

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