A. M. In commemoration of International Women’s Day, the Fundación Empresarial para la Acción Social (FUNDEMAS) held a discussion on “Equity and sustainability, two pillars for progress”, where the progress and challenges of female participation in the Salvadoran private sector were analyzed. Representatives of companies such as Tigo and DELSUR highlighted programs that have strengthened the presence of women in their industries.
Tomás Regalado, president of FUNDEMAS, emphasized the importance of reducing gender gaps in business. “There are still many gaps to close, but it is key to highlight what companies are already doing as an example of what can be achieved with an equity strategy”, he said. In El Salvador, 45% of households are headed by women and their economic participation rate is 46.1%, compared to 79.5% for men.
However, significant challenges remain. According to data from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), women spend an average of 25.5 hours on unpaid work, while men spend only 7.2 hours. In addition, women earn 23% less than their male counterparts, and six out of ten face sexual violence. At the workplace, one in four experience harassment in the workplace.
Haydeé de Trigueros, executive director of FUNDEMAS, pointed out that, according to global projections, it would take 134 years to achieve gender equality. However, she pointed out that in recent years more equality policies have been generated in the labor market. In the case of MSMEs, FUNDEMAS works to help women business owners move from a vision of subsistence to one of growth and business leadership.
A major challenge remains the low representation of women in senior business positions. “In El Salvador, only 5% of the highest-ranking roles in companies are occupied by women”, said de Trigueros. Despite this, studies indicate that companies with gender diversity are 22% more productive, are 27% more profitable, and improve customer satisfaction by 39%.
At the macroeconomic level, FUNDEMAS pointed out that if women’s labor participation were equal to that of men, countries could increase their GDP per capita by up to 20 %. Furthermore, when women prosper in the labor market, key aspects such as autonomy, leadership, and the reduction of gender-based violence are strengthened.
Carolina Vallejo, CEO of Tigo El Salvador, explained that the company has trained 100,000 women entrepreneurs in the country in digital skills, in addition to promoting the inclusion of women in professional positions. “In our industry, 46% of our employees are women. We want to open more opportunities and be an example for more women to join the technology sector”, she said.
The “Conectadas” program, promoted by Tigo, currently trains 2,200 salvadoran women in digitalization, adding to the million beneficiaries in Latin America. The initiative seeks to strengthen female entrepreneurship and reduce the digital divide in the region.
Carolina Quintero, CEO of DELSUR, highlighted the company’s internal programs that train women in robotics, electronics and renewable energy, in collaboration with Germany’s GIZ. In addition, DELSUR has adhered to UN Women’s Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPS), promoting equity within the energy sector.
“The key is to build together, strengthen learning capacity and value diversity within companies”, said Quintero. With these strategies, the salvadoran private sector is moving towards a more inclusive and sustainable business model, in which gender equity is a key factor for the country’s economic and social development.
