Diagnosis of higher education at the Regional University Center of Colón: a gender approach

Abstract

In the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goal Number 5 (SDG 5) aspires to: achieve equality as a fundamental human right and one of the essential foundations to build a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. In 2015, Panama adopted the SDGs. In 2016, it presented its Ist Report with strategic lines to advance the 2030 Agenda. In 2017 the Government presented a National Strategic Plan prioritizing actions to achieve the SDGs and in 2020 it presented the IInd Report. The Government Strategic Plans were used for the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs. The SDG Index (2020) placed the country in position 81 out of 166 countries, improving 9 positions compared to the previous year. In public university higher education institutions in Panama, there are a variety of mechanisms to align with the 2030 Agenda (implementation, monitoring and measurement). The UN proposed global indicators to guide monitoring and measurement, including SDG5. The effects of COVID-19 could have reversed the limited achievements that would have been made in terms of gender equality.  UN-Women made a proposal to mitigate the impact and for long-term recovery; one of them: guarantee that data and coordination mechanisms include a gender perspective.

What mechanisms would the University of Panama be using to align with the SDG 2030 agenda and for the implementation, monitoring and measurement of these? What are the main gender inequalities present in the university context of the CRU of Colón? It is necessary to unfold the SDG5 indicators into periodic surveys and/or other data collection instruments (quantitative and qualitative) to measure progress and/or in university higher education. The norm provides access to opportunities, it does not give evidence of being discriminatory. However, the results seem to indicate that there is no substantive equality. There seems to be an individual effort for women to achieve their goals and not a change in the role of women in society and, in access, permanence, graduation from the teaching-administrative career and in university direction and management.