In the last decade, a complex landscape has emerged for female entrepreneurs, with significant barriers compared to their male counterparts. According to the 2024 Gender Zoom Report by Ocec-UDP, Chile Mujeres, and the Santiago Chamber of Commerce, although the female labor participation rate recovered to pre-pandemic levels in 2023—reaching 52.6%—there is still a gender gap of -19.3 percentage points to the detriment of women.
This indicates not only that women participate in the economy at a lower rate, but they also face greater barriers. In this regard, Fundación Luksic conducted a diagnosis identifying the main challenges that place women at a disadvantage in terms of gender.
Among these are family restrictions and a higher burden of domestic responsibilities, difficulties in accessing financing, digital gaps, the opportunity cost of acquiring training or engaging in activities outside the home, and the low self-efficacy experienced by female entrepreneurs—a factor that undermines the belief that their businesses can progress and be commercially successful.
Thus, in 2021, taking into account this diagnosis and especially the complex economic and social scenario caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Fundación Luksic created a program specifically for female entrepreneurs, which this year celebrates its fifth edition: Despega Mujer.
“This program aims to be a concrete, comprehensive contribution focused on training for many women who choose, either out of necessity or opportunity, the path of entrepreneurship to develop themselves and support their families. This year, 100 female entrepreneurs from Maule, Aysén, and Magallanes will receive training and funding to boost their businesses. We are confident in the talent of these entrepreneurs, who are a driving force for Chile’s development, and we want to support them on their journey to achieve their dreams,” said Isabella Luksic, Manager of Fundación Luksic.
A Boost for Female Entrepreneurship
Despega Mujer seeks to empower a segment of the female population that has previously participated in entrepreneurship programs, specifically through microloans from Fondo Esperanza and Banigualdad or the Impulso Inicial program by Fundación Luksic, but who still require additional support and guidance to further develop their businesses. Therefore, the call is made through these institutions.
Since 2021, the program has supported a total of 290 female entrepreneurs from twelve regions of the country, from north to south. These regions are Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Maule, Ñuble, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Lagos, Aysén, Magallanes, and the Metropolitan Region.
The 100 women selected for this fifth edition belong to the regions of Maule (75%), Aysén (10%), and Magallanes (15%). Each will receive $2,000,000 pesos, training, and mentorships, and will also participate in learning circles aimed at creating support networks among the winners. Other data shows that the selected women are between 23 and 62 years old, 65% have had their business for more than three years, and the most prominent sectors are food (30%), beauty (19%), and sewing (14%).
During July and September, the winners will participate in the program’s training component, which includes synchronous and asynchronous training and mentorships on topics such as digitization, business models, and techniques to grow their businesses, with a special focus on gender.
With the dream of working independently and being her own boss, Jeanette Soto from the Biobío Region started her own salon, Color&Care. She was one of the program’s winners in 2022, and thanks to the support, she was able to open a shop, which allowed her to double her clientele and significantly increase her sales. “Initially, I worked in my living room, and with this help, I was able to set up a space. I’ve managed to create a beautiful, spacious, and bright place just as I dreamed. It’s hard to start a business in this country, especially if you’re a woman, which is why this type of support is so important. It allowed me to believe in myself and for others to believe in me,” commented the entrepreneur.
On her growth and future dreams, Jeanette says, “I really love this; I’m passionate about it. I’m proud of my work because it has allowed me to provide a better quality of life for my children, and that fills my heart. My dreams are for my business to continue growing, to hire another person in need, and to have more happy, beautiful, and satisfied clients.”
