Women in Chile are playing a fundamental role in the recovery of the labor force after the effects of the pandemic. This is evidenced by the January-March 2022 bulletin of the National Institute of Statistics, which revealed that in the last 12 months the total number of employed people grew by 8% and female employment was the leader in the recovery of work with 10.5%.
In this scenario, entrepreneurship is gaining more and more strength as a real and necessary option for thousands of women. Aware of the positive impact of empowering women entrepreneurs in the country, Fundación Luksic, in alliance with Corporación Simón de Cirene and Corporación Construyendo Mis Sueños, launched the third version of Despega Mujer, a program that seeks to support entrepreneurships led by women by encouraging them to move to a higher business segment through financing and comprehensive support.
In its third edition, Despega Mujer will benefit 50 women from the Tarapacá and Ñuble regions. The entrepreneurs will receive personalized mentoring, training, and $2 million pesos to invest in the growth of their businesses. In addition, they will participate in learning circles, whose main objective is to share experiences with the other winners, build a local support network and accompany each other in this important learning process.
“We know firsthand the great capabilities and the tremendous contribution made by Chile’s women entrepreneurs in their communities and the impact they are having today in the recovery of the country’s labor force. We have also witnessed the good results of the first two versions of Despega Mujer, so we want to continue providing the necessary tools for more women entrepreneurs to empower themselves and move their businesses forward, which will also have a positive impact on their quality of life and that of their families,” said Paola Luksic, president of Fundación Luksic.
Applications
The program is aimed at supporting women who have already demonstrated a good entrepreneurial profile. One of the requirements is to have received previous support from entities that provide microfinancing, such as Fondo Esperanza and Banigualdad.
“It has been an excellent program and a very good tool for my business. I have been able to share with other entrepreneurs, I have learned to make better use of social networks to grow my business and today my business has delivery”, says Diamantina Cortés, one of the winners of the second version and owner of “El Bajón de Baquedano”, in the Coquimbo Region.
Applications will be open until Sunday, May 22, and women entrepreneurs who wish to participate and who belong to Banigualdad or Fondo Esperanza should contact their corresponding advisor to review the registration details.
The Despega Mujer program was launched in March 2021 and in its two previous versions has already benefited 70 women from the regions of Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Biobío, Los Lagos and Metropolitana, who have acquired knowledge and tools to boost the growth of their businesses.
