From the Presidential Council for Women, Gheidy Gallo has been promoting different actions in order to improve the conditions of the female populationboth in the social and economic spheres. The official spoke with Portfolio about these advances.
(The Best Places to Work in Colombia for women in 2022).
What has been done to close the labor gap?
The recovery of employment in Colombia has the face of a woman, and, above all, of a young woman. During the second half of 2021, 51.5% of recovered employment was for womenands and in January 2022 this figure increased to 58%.
This has been possible thanks to a reactivation strategy that put women at the center. For the first time, a tax reform contains specific measures to promote employment for them. The Formal Employment Support subsidy (PAEF) is continued: 40% for men and 50% for women, thanks to which during the pandemic we managed to retain a third of women’s formal employment. And for new employment, a payroll subsidy of 25% was established for young people and 15% for women over 28 years of age. Thanks to this, we managed to create 119,000 job opportunities for young women and 32,000 for those over 28.
(They launch a call to promote female entrepreneurs in technology).
How can female inclusion be stimulated at the business level?
The great legacy of this government’s women’s equity policy is to consolidate Colombia as a nation of women entrepreneurs. According to Confecamaras, during 2021 women led the creation of companies, representing 61.3% of companies owned by natural persons.
As an integral bet of this government, We have supported more than 930,000 rural and urban entrepreneurs with an investment of $8 billion. Our commitment is to reach more women and continue strengthening their businesses. We created the Women Emprende Fund with a capital of $56,000 million.
How much space have women gained in management positions?
The participation of women in leadership positions has improved. However, the challenge is still substantial. In the public sector, for the first time in history the country had a joint cabinet. Likewise, we have achieved the maximum participation of women in leadership positions in the State since the quota law came into existence (46%). In companies with a majority shareholding of the State, women represent 31% on the boards of directors.
A study by the Colombian Observatory of Women and Supersociedades revealed that the participation of women on boards of directors went from 23% in 2017 to 24% in 2020. We also support initiatives such as the 30% club that raises awareness and works with the business sector to achieve this purpose.
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