RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The idea that the role of women in society is increasingly preponderant has been highlighted for some time, and currently, in fact, it has a prominent place in business, but when it comes to talking about equitable salary conditions, there is still much to improve. Because, being dependent employees, they experience a salary gap of G. 500,000 (guarani) compared to men, unlike when they are businesswomen or independent professionals.
It is part of what the president of the Paraguayan Association of Executive and Professional Businesswomen (APEP), Lourdes Gómez, said in an interview for the newspaper La Nación, who also spoke about the trajectory of the union that celebrates 31 years of institutional life.
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“According to data from the Observatory for Equality and Non-Discrimination, from the Center for Documentation and Studies (CDE), compared to a woman employed in a company, men with the same position earn an average of G. 500,000 more, and taking into account that a high percentage of MSMEs, 95% of the companies in Paraguay are led by women, so we can conclude that they are doing better as businesswomen or independent professionals developing a business activity,” said Gómez.
And that more women are on this path, despite the aforementioned gap, is due to the fact that in order to reach relevant roles they had to make a career, applying skills and gaining experience through permanence or continuity in those management positions. This implies a high degree of competitiveness and dedication, often at the expense of the time that should be shared with the family, she explained.
It should not be forgotten that the woman is also the administrator of the home, she is in charge of the education and care of the children, therefore, she must bend efforts in the business sphere to overcome the gap in equity and equality of opportunities that still exists, added the president of APEP. There is also evidence of an increase in the role of women in the business world, which is due both to the fact that today women are recognized to a greater extent with sufficient capacity, have greater courage to apply for leadership positions, and seek to manage their time to fulfill the other roles that they have, lead business or professional ventures independently.
Regarding the field of politics, she commented that according to the UN, in the last 20 years the participation of women in the positions disputed in the various General Elections experienced an average growth of 2.6% between one election and another, showing a growth trend. However, the percentage of women’s participation in Congress is in the order of 20%, against 80% of men’s participation. “In my opinion, women are fully qualified to enter politics, it is a matter of decision, based on the recognition of their own capacity, which must be accompanied by the various existing political parties unequivocally betting on women to occupy more decisive positions”, highlighted the executive.
Regarding the actions carried out by the union, she stressed that they respond rather to the struggle to achieve, over time, equity and equal opportunities for business, executive and professional women, being a reference in Paraguay as a union that promotes women’s businesses.
ACTIONS AND CAREER
“We seek the promotion and development of women in their economic activities, with a range of information so that they can do training, seed capital, the possibility of applying and being beneficiaries of projects, a wide network of internal and external, national and international contacts”, she added. They are also given institutional visibility with prominence in networks and the press, space on APEP’s own radio program “Mujeres Que Suman” (Women Who Add), with topics of interest and promotion of products and services of the members, as well as participation in tables of public policies as a joint effort between the State, the University and the company, these being strategic allies.
For all this, completing 31 years of institutional life as an entity that supports business women is noteworthy for APEP, while assuming the challenge of growing with strategic allies in the promotion and development of business and professional women. “It represents the pride of being part of a solid guild of business and professional women, strongly pointing to the union between them for the development of their businesses,” she stressed.