Elma Saiz and Colombian Vice-President Francia Márquez meet to discuss inclusion and equality policies

The Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, and the Colombian Vice-President, Francia Márquez

The Spanish Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, has held a meeting with the Vice-President and Minister for Equality and Equity of Colombia, Francia Márquez, in a meeting aimed at sharing experiences and strengthening the relationship between the two countries, especially in social policies.

The meeting, held this Wednesday in Bogota, allowed Minister Saiz to share with the Colombian Vice-President the Government of Spain's experience in many areas, mainly: the design of a minimum income such as the Minimum Basic Income. She also shared the reforms undertaken in the areas of labour and social security, policies to reduce the gender gap and migration.

In addition, both government representatives assessed the international situation and the repercussions on their respective countries and agreed on the need for policies that provide certainty for citizens. In Spain, Saiz explained the reforms implemented by the government that have made it possible to transform the labour market, which is reaching record levels of stable, quality employment and which are helping to strengthen the pension system.

Impact of minimum incomes

Both representatives discussed the minimum income model for citizens as an effective tool to fight severe poverty, as well as the associated policies that promote inclusion.

Elma Saiz shared the Government's commitment to a model of scientific evaluation of the policies linked to the Minimum Basic Income, which makes it possible to measure the effectiveness of the measures implemented and adapt them to real needs. The Social Policy Lab is an international benchmark, endorsed by the European Union and in which countries such as the United States and organisations such as the World Bank have shown interest.

Vice-president Márquez, in turn, explained her model of Renta Ciudadana, a programme that, like the Minimum Basic Income, seeks to provide a basic income to citizens.

Equality and co-responsibility

On the other hand, Minister Saiz and Vice-President Márquez agreed on the need to design measures to advance gender equality, as well as co-responsibility between men and women in childcare.

Vice-president Márquez showed her interest in the supplement to reduce the gender gap, one of the measures that has had the greatest impact on the road to equality, and which has already reduced the pension gap by five points, thus improving the vulnerability of women pensioners. Elma Saiz also pointed out that Spain has been a pioneer in regulating identical parental leave for both parents, a measure which, on the other hand, favours the employability of women, as it implies a more equitable distribution of family responsibilities.

Regular migration: We Care Project

This meeting is the first in the agenda that Minister Saiz will be holding over the next few days in Colombia, which will also focus on the migration policies of both countries. In the last 10 years, the number of workers from Colombia has quadrupled, to nearly 219,000.

Regular migration is one of Spain's priorities, which is why it has submitted a proposal for the implementation of the WeCare labour migration project, focusing on labour mobility in the care sector, with Colombia as a preferred partner country. This initiative seeks to address and resolve labour shortages in both countries through a skills partnership model.

During her trip, Minister Saiz will hold a meeting with the Spanish colony - some 51,547 Spaniards live in Colombia, according to the latest INE data, half men and half women. She will also visit the Safe Mobility Office and participate in the "Dialogue of women leaders of diasporas in Latin America and the Caribbean", organised in Cartagena de Indias by the International Organisation for Migration, the Organisation of American States, the International Labour Organisation, among other institutions.

"It is a real honour to be able to meet with Vice President and Minister Francia Márquez. This meeting represents an important step in our shared commitment to social inclusion and equity. I am convinced that this dialogue will enrich our approaches and promote greater collaboration between our countries," concluded Saiz.

The meeting between the two officials marks a milestone in the collaboration between Spain and Colombia, which will continue in the future to advance public policies that guarantee equality and comprehensive social protection, as well as regular labour mobility between the two countries.

Non official translation