Gender equality, disability and social inclusion analysis in Latin America: Uruguay 2025

Uruguay is a well-known regional leader committed to gender equality and social rights. This research provides an up-to-date analysis of data on gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), tracking progress across political, economic, social and legal spheres in the Uruguayan context.

Drawing on a broad range of methodologies including a literature review, data from statistical databases and key informant interviews, this research reveals the progress Uruguay has achieved in reducing gender and social inequalities, and the challenges that remain to improve GEDSI outcomes.

While Uruguay surpasses the regional average for Latin America and the Caribbean in indicators such as life expectancy, literacy and gross income, significant gaps remain – particularly in areas like gender-based violence, child marriage, women’s representation in politics, the sexual division of labour and the unequal distribution of care between women and men.

Uruguay is known for having shown a strong commitment to gender equality and women’s rights in the region. Nationally it has ratified several key international agreements, such as the ​​​​Beijing Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), alongside regional initiatives, such as the Montevideo Strategy 2030 and the Buenos Aires Commitment (2022).

This ODI Report provides recommendations for government, development partners and civil-society organisations working on GEDSI issues in Uruguay. Three country briefs synthesize the evidence on topics of particular relevance: gender-based violence, women's representation in politics, and women’s economic autonomy.

Key messages

• Uruguay outperforms many Latin American peers on broad socioeconomic indicators but still faces substantial inequalities despite strong overall performance.
• Gender norms continue to play a decisive role in the remaining disparities across political representation, feminisation of poverty, unpaid care work, as well as the naturalisation and legitimisation of various forms of gender-based violence.
• The proportion of women living in poverty (8.8%) is significantly higher than that of men (4.8%), with the gender gap reaching 4% points in 2023.
• Uruguay ranks fourth highest in the region in the feminisation of poverty index.
• Of the 353,000 people living below the poverty line in Uruguay, 78% are in households with at least one person under 18 years of age. Most (68%) of these households are, in turn, headed by women.

The thematic country briefs focus on economic autonomy, women in politics, and gender-based violence. Published in English and Spanish, they cover:

• The pressing need for cultural and norm change policies that promote a more equitable distribution of care responsibilities within families. Women spend nearly three times more time on unpaid care and domestic work than men, which significantly restricts their participation in the economy and exacerbates social inequalities.
• The main barriers to women’s political participation in Uruguay including: institutional factors, gender norms around the characteristics of a good political leader, the role of male gatekeepers, a lack of access to media and resources, a lack of political training.
• The rate of gender-based violence, femicide and the gaps in state response.