Race, gender, class and public policies in Latin America and Andean countries

Relying on Black feminism, we examine the impact of race, class, and gender on Afro-descendant people in Latin America. We acknowledge that issues of inequality play a role in the Caribbean, but our analysis focuses on Andean countries and Brazil. We focus on social policies such as education and cash transfer programs that have an impact on Afro-descendants, including those in urban areas. Brazil and Colombia have university quota programs for Afro-descendant students, but Peru does not. Afro-Peruvians are eligible for scholarships within one of the major scholarships that considers ethnic or racial identity, but many Afro-Peruvian students are not aware of it. Brazil’s university quota program reaches a larger number of Afro-descendants, while Colombia’s is disjointed, as individual universities have differing rules and quota seats as well as requirements for these seats. Colombia’s Familias en Accion guarantees Indigenous people access to the program, but it does not guarantee Afro-descendants access. Brazil’s Bolsa Familia program has a positive impact on Afro-descendants in Brazil, especially women. Unfortunately, Peru’s Juntos program does not significantly reach many Afro-Peruvians because of program requirements such as a poverty threshold in certain locations and pregnancy or child status. We examine these programs with an intersectional lens and provide policy recommendations.