[{"bbox": [119, 151, 1119, 314], "category": "Text", "text": "2023In the area of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE), while there have been important achievements, there is still work to be done. The adolescent birth rate was 72 per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in 2015, up from 61.8 per 1,000 in 2008. By 2021, only 15% of parliamentary seats will be held by women. In 2018, 5.5% of women aged 15-49 reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence from a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months. Women and girls aged 15 and over also spend 13.8% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, compared to 4.6% for men²."}, {"bbox": [119, 325, 1119, 487], "category": "Text", "text": "Paraguay ratified the Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2008 and has a National Action Plan for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PANDPCD). An estimated 15% of Paraguay's population has some form of disability. Furthermore, the illiteracy rate among the population with disabilities aged 15 and over is 17.2%, while the national rate is 5.5%. As for the census population aged 10 and over with disabilities, according to economic activity status, 38.2% are employed; 0.7% are unemployed, and the inactive represent 61.0%³."}, {"bbox": [119, 498, 1119, 607], "category": "Text", "text": "Although economic growth (GDP growth 2023: 4.5%), has been consistently above the regional average there is a need to diversify the economy by integrating marginalised people and formalising the economy (now at 70% informal). It is necessary to move towards a more diversified and sustainable production matrix, as well as to include education and social welfare at the core of development strategies."}, {"bbox": [119, 617, 1119, 804], "category": "Text", "text": "The country continues to depend heavily on agriculture and livestock, characterised by the high concentration of land in the hands of an elite that received the land at the time of the dictatorship. The distribution model, based on land concentration, leads to the expulsion of the rural population and migration to urban areas, which, added to the low industrialisation of the country, results in few opportunities for access to salaried work for the displaced population, especially young people. This situation contributes to poverty, inequality, and social exclusion. Poverty rates have decreased in the last 25 years, from 40.5% in 1998, to 22.7% in 2023 (INE 2024)."}, {"bbox": [119, 815, 1119, 871], "category": "Text", "text": "Paraguay MIP acts in this context. It identified some areas of EU and Paraguay interest. With an indicative financial allocation of EUR 51 M for 2021-2024, EU priority areas for 2021-2027 are:"}, {"bbox": [119, 880, 1119, 1017], "category": "Text", "text": "1. **Green and Resilient Economy** (43% of the envelope), to contribute to sustainable development through actions that make Paraguayan economy and society more resilient. Actions are focused on the following sectors: (i) biodiversity preservation and restoration, fight against deforestation and sustainable forest management (ongoing Action Forest4 life) and (ii) sustainable production and support to sustainable value chains (Action under approval process)."}, {"bbox": [119, 1025, 1119, 1082], "category": "Text", "text": "This area will also be instrumental for the implementation of some important provisions of the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement, should it be signed and enter into force."}, {"bbox": [119, 1091, 1119, 1227], "category": "Text", "text": "2. **Fight against Inequalities** (51% of the envelope), which have been further aggravated by COVID-19 health and socio-economic consequences and constitute a major obstacle to inclusive development as well as a possible threat for social, economic and political stability. Actions are conducted in the following sectors: (i) inclusive education and vocational training (Action in formulation phase), (ii) labour integration/social protection (Action pending approval), and (iii) gender equality and non-discrimination (Action ongoing)."}, {"bbox": [119, 1236, 1119, 1293], "category": "Text", "text": "Two TEIs are foreseen in the MIP: i) Green alliance for PY (German funded confirmed), ii) fight against inequalities (Spanish funding confirmed)."}, {"bbox": [109, 1564, 484, 1590], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² Country Fact Sheet | UN Women Data Hub"}, {"bbox": [109, 1588, 672, 1616], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ National Institute of Statistics Paraguay, Government of Paraguay"}, {"bbox": [1012, 1678, 1122, 1704], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 15"}]