Little by little we are resuming certain levels of pre-pandemic normality, thanks to the advanced vaccination process we have in Chile and the evolution of the virus: the capacity is relaxed, children return to school and students to universities and ending with the Step by Step Plan gains followers. However, there is something that is still far from being as before: female participation in the labor market.
Until the beginning of 2020, this indicator managed to exceed 50% for the first time in its history, that is, one in two women of working age joined the labor market. A historical fact for Chile, but still far from more developed economies. Unfortunately, the coronavirus crisis showed us how fragile these achievements are when they are not based on cultural, legal, regulatory and institutional changes that consolidate them. Many women had to sacrifice their work for the care of their children and the home, so their participation in the labor market plummeted almost 10 percentage points, falling to 40%, its lowest figure in decades.
In terms of entrepreneurship, we observed a high rate of creation of projects led by women in recent years, which is undoubtedly an achievement, but male-led ventures have grown at a similar and even higher rate.
Although in recent months we have seen a recovery in this area (48% last January), we are only at levels similar to those of a decade ago. That is why it is urgent to take measures such as detecting and accompanying female talent early in organizations, listening to the needs and attending to the necessary flexibilities in the various stages, so that said talent is not lost and reaches the maximum potential of contribution to the economy and the country.
A good sign is the current consensus and evidence on the strategic importance and impact on productivity of opening greater spaces for women in the economic field, which marks the beginning of the profound cultural change that our country requires as a basis for moving towards gender equity. We also hope that women will dare, empower themselves and trust in their abilities to develop successfully in the most different areas of the world of work and that in the face of new adversities it is not female employment that is most unbalanced.
The content expressed in this opinion column is the sole responsibility of its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line or position of El Mostrador.
