What is being done to empower and help women entrepreneurs in our country? Rosa María Higa Yshii, central administration manager of Caja Ica, tells us about the work that the financial entity she represents is carrying out to ensure that women can carry out their businesses.
Why have specialized financial products for women?
It is very important because we have many entrepreneurs. However, there are many barriers to accessing credit without the need for a spouse or partner to intervene in the firm and to be able to obtain a loan that serves as seed capital to generate a business. At Caja Ica we have been working on a product called Entrepreneurial Woman precisely aimed at this segment, considering that it is proven that women have the will and ability to pay that helps to include them financially and be able to move their businesses forward.
What are you looking for with these products?
At Caja Ica what we are looking for is accessibility, flexibility and a diversity of products, among which is Entrepreneurial Woman, so that the woman who has the ability to decide, who is a mother, who directs the home, who sees the domestic economy and has the dream of entrepreneurship has in us the support she needs. Through our 95 service points in 11 regions of the country, Caja Ica products reach out to women so they can finance their dreams. We are working very hard on our reason for being, turning dreams into reality to improve people’s quality of life.
How important is it to support financial inclusion and education?
It would help the country’s economy a lot. I think we have shown, post-pandemic, that there is the capacity to adapt quickly to changes, we have a lot of resilience. Women with a very small seed capital do wonders, just as they do at home to provide daily bread or to be able to cook with a perhaps very short budget. Their role is very important and at Caja Ica we seek the autonomy they need to fulfill their dreams. We have been working on a program with Centrum PUCP, “Woman, let your Business Grow More”. This year it is in its third version and there we give them, through 10 workshops, tools not only technological, but also to generate a business. It fills us with satisfaction and joy to carry out this program where we provide seed capital for your ventures. Caja Ica plays a fundamental role in accompanying its clients, not only with financing, but with knowledge so that they can plan, manage and achieve results.
Are these programs only for women in Ica?
In the three versions of “Mujer que tu Negocio Crezca” it has been done in Ica, but there is a commitment for next year to be able to deploy it in Lima and also in Ayacucho. We have also been running a program for two years where those ventures that were presented receive support from Caja Ica officials and workers, it is a mentoring program through five sessions. It is an opportunity for us, as collaborators, to be able to work in social responsibility.
How many entrepreneurs do you plan to reach in 2026?
This year 35 entrepreneurs have graduated. For next year we hope to exceed the goal of 200. We want to reach those places where women today do not have opportunities. Our segment is aimed at small and micro businesses. Today at Caja Ica we give nanocredits or minicredits, that is, credits of S/300. We have to tell women that there is an opportunity to generate business, perhaps by selling emollient or in a small store within their own home. Mothers can also transmit the culture of savings to their children and that is where financial inclusion should begin.
How are you promoting the Great Place to Work?
This year we have been certified by Great Place to Work, a better place to work. We feel very happy and proud because we have worked hard on the sense of belonging of our collaborators. Previously, we worked on aspects of culture, we measured the climate, however, we have developed specific programs such as “Blowing embers”, where an entire team travels to our network of stores to work with collaborators, giving them tools, strengthening their skills. Another point is the issue of identity. At Caja Ica we respect and feel very proud of this company that already has 36 years of institutional life. We are working on leaders who transcend the Leader DNA through the program. We want to have a leader who is admired, innovative and disruptive.
So, Caja Ica employees are also committed to female entrepreneurs.
Of course, what’s more, 48% of Caja Ica’s workers are women. In credit, 48% of clients are women and the same percentage is in savings. When we review our savings, women exceed the average amount, meaning that we manage the economy much better and our surpluses go into an account, that is important to highlight.
