Social Inclusion in Uruguay
Uruguay is a regional leader in the path toward social inclusion. Sustained economic growth and redistributive policies have made it the most egalitarian country in Latin America. However, some groups are still excluded. Afro-descendants, persons w...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/748291595402326745/Social-Inclusion-in-Uruguay http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34229 |
| Summary: | Uruguay is a regional leader in the path
toward social inclusion. Sustained economic growth and
redistributive policies have made it the most egalitarian
country in Latin America. However, some groups are still
excluded. Afro-descendants, persons with disabilities, women
particularly in female-headed households and LGBTI people
are more likely to be excluded. They face unequal
opportunities, lower accumulation of human capital and
skills, and a lack of voice and agency to have their points
of views and aspirations of development included in decision
making. This translates into disadvantages in education,
health, housing, political representation, and employment,
among others, and a higher tendency to live in poorer
regions and slums. Excluded groups are also confronted with
glass ceilings in the job market, which result in lower
incomes and fewer opportunities. Uruguay has a robust matrix
of social policies and one of the highest levels of public
social spending in the region, but atomization of social
programs and lack of coordination between them compromises
their effectiveness. Closing the remaining gaps is possible
and may not require large additional spending. Very often,
changes in preexisting programs is all it takes to make them
more socially inclusive. Policies that put social inclusion
at their core do not necessarily do more, but they do things differently. |
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