Panama

Gender Parity Accelerator

Panama currently ranks 40th out of 146 countries on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index and ninth within Latin America and the Caribbean Region. Its most significant gender gaps exist around women’s political and economic participation and empowerment. Closing workforce gender gaps will be essential to Panama’s continued inclusive economic growth and could grow the country’s GDP by as much as 21%.

Activities and deliverables

Launched in 2018, Panama’s Gender Parity Accelerator seeks to close gender gaps in workforce participation, remuneration, and leadership.  It is led by the Ministry of Social Development and supported by the World Economic Forum and Inter-American Development Bank.


As part of its action plan, Panama adopted legislation related to minimum representation of women on the Boards of Directors and gender pay gap monitoring. Both laws stand to drive greater pay equity and female leadership in the private sector. The accelerator’s leadership group, which is made up of public and private sector representatives, has been formalized as the National Council for Gender Parity through an executive decree. The council will provide an official mechanism for public-private consultation and collaboration on gender parity measures beyond the accelerator’s lifecycle.

Accelerator Leadership

María Inés Castillo de Sanmartín

Minister of Social Development

Local Coordinator

Virginia Barreiro
Iniciativa de Paridad de Genero
Director of International Cooperation

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