translated from Spanish: Betting on female talent is key to doing more and better science and technology in Chile

Last year, only 28% of those enrolled in careers related to science and engineering were women, according to the latest “Gender Radiography in CTCI”, of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation. And in the world of work, female participation in the ICT sector is only 5%, warns the Chilean Association of Information Technology Companies.” This is a problem that we must take care of as a society,” says the Undersecretary of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Carolina Torrealba. Therefore, the Government presented a “National Policy on Gender Equality in Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation”, which contemplates a “50/50 Plan” for 2030, with more than 30 actions such as a scientific research program for children of early ages and a leadership program for women in academia. “We are confident that eliminating gender gaps is, without a doubt, the transformation that will have the greatest impact on the way to increase our chances of finding talent, creativity and doing more and better science, technology, knowledge and innovation,” says Torrealba. In this scenario, the private world also has a lot to contribute. Beatriz Oelckers, Quality and Product Manager Lithium & Iodine at SQM, says that “the culture of our company focuses on attracting and developing everyone’s talent, regardless of gender. This has allowed us to have an increasing female participation at different levels of the organization.” Walmart Chile, meanwhile, has strengthened its career acceleration programs for women in the areas of operation and support, with a special focus on technology and digital capabilities. “We have the ‘Choose to Train’ program, in which women were able to opt for a 100% online learning plan to strengthen their digital knowledge,” says Denisse Goldfarb, Vice President of People.In addition, they have opted for young women to occupy key positions within the area of technological developments Walmart Tech, responsible for technology strategy, e-commerce platforms and innovation and data strategies. They have a hiring goal of 100 women for this section in 2021.

Original source in Spanish