Promoting gender equity so that women have better development opportunities is a priority for Voces Vitales.

"According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2023, economic participation indicators show a significant disparity. for example, the participation of women in the labor force in El Salvador reflects a gap of 31.39% compared to men. This means that, of the working age population, 45.40% of women are employed, compared to 76.79% of men", said Graciela Fontg, President of Voces Vitales El Salvador.

Crecemujer 2023 focused on highlighting the relevance of women inside and outside of companies, from their roles as executives, collaborators, customers, leading their businesses, to create more and better opportunities. It also shared current tools for their personal and business development, and thus strengthen their role in business management.

This year CreceMujer was held in a face-to-face format for the first time since the pandemic and its main objectives were to highlight the relevance of women in the economic sphere, inside and outside of companies, and to provide women with tools for their personal wellbeing and business development.

The event featured national and international speakers to inspire and challenge participants, such as the talks "Breaking Chains" by entrepreneur and investor, Margarita Herdocia, "The Impact of Investing in Women" by Maria Pacheco, founder of the successful social enterprise WAKAMI Global.

A panel of experiences was moderated by Alfredo Atanacio, with the participation of Ana Cristina López - CEO Citi El Salvador, Daniela Rivas - Marketing Director DIANA, and Patricia Recinos, Founder of Peka Maya. In this space they talked about the experience of being empowered and supporting other women to develop their potential.

Also, good business practices to promote gender equity and economic opportunities were shared with a panel that included the participation of Claudia de Ibañez - Walmart, Mercy Ramos de Paz - CABEI, and Michelle Fariñas - Applaudo.

Finally, sessions were held to provide tools on the topics most requested by businesswomen for MSMEs on issues of finance, innovation and business model, artificial intelligence and the digital state of El Salvador with the speakers: Marilú de Burgos - Fisherman Education, Pavel Alvarado - Tantum consultores, Rodolfo Salazar - Qudox, and Juan José Ganam - State of Digital.

In addition, not only are there fewer women in the labor force, but also, women traditionally occupy the lowest paid jobs, that is, at the bottom of the pyramid. 

In addition, one of the report's indicators is that equal pay for equal work represents a significant gap. In this component, El Salvador is in 115th place. There are still places where if a woman does the same job as a man, she receives less pay than the man. 

Similarly, in business leadership, 64% of microenterprises are led by women. However, it is worth noting that mainly the microenterprises that are led by women are ventures of necessity and lower income, that is, from the base of where women typically do not have a salary. 

"That percentage drops significantly as the size of the enterprises increases. For example, only 26% of SMEs are led by women. As companies grow and consolidate, there are fewer women in leadership positions," adds Fontg. "These are certainly figures that remind us of the enormous challenge ahead and reinforce the need for meetings such as this day's”.

Companies have the opportunity to promote the participation of women in the economy in different ways, either from their role in the workforce, with programs and policies that promote equal opportunities and gender equity. 

They can also have supplier development programs that consciously and articulately push for the inclusion of women-led companies in their value chain.

We hope that the participants leave this day inspired and motivated, that they receive tools to improve the management of their businesses, and that they are able to take advantage of the economic opportunities that arise.

Translated by: A.M