Closing the gender gap at work: How a digital platform in Chile is empowering women
“Will I have time for this?” was the first question Marleni Rojo asked herself before enrolling in a training offered by Mujeres Emplea, a digital platform in Chile that seeks to promote women´s economic empowerment and close the gender gap at work.
As a mother and head of household, Marleni was concerned about adding yet another responsibility to her already overflowing plate:
“I have a daughter with a disability and I have to take her to school. Back in the day, I took advantage of advancing my education while she was attending a special school. I made the most out of that situation”, she explains.
Despite her initial doubts, Marleni decided to give herself the chance to expand her professional horizons by taking part in one of Mujeres Emplea’s training programmes.
The virtual platform connects women with job offers and entrepreneurial opportunities in the public and private sectors. It also provides free training tools and promotes a listing of current offerings of child and adult care services.
From updating her resume to learning how to use digital tools like Microsoft Excel and LinkedIn, Marleni has enjoyed the process of reinventing herself.
“[We are] training ourselves to be ready for the world of work, because now everything is digital”, she added, explaining how motivated she felt by the possibility of a better job.
Closing gender divides in digital skills
The pilot training of Mujeres Emplea includes an intensive course that lasts approximately one month and seeks to improve the participants' digital skills to broaden their employment opportunities.
“We have to get ahead as mothers, as women, and give the best to our families. And this training was very good, I liked it a lot,” explains Marleni who lives in Renca, one of the Chilean municipalities where Mujeres Emplea held pilot training programmes.
The Mujeres Emplea platform was born out of coordination between the International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Women, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Resident Coordinator's Office in Chile — alongside the Chilean Government and other stakeholders.
With a wider variety of digital competencies at her disposal, Marleni has felt more empowered and capable of navigating the digital world of work.
“Everything in this life is possible. We can't stay static. In this world, more women are needed to join the workforce and these trainings are needed for our wellbeing, for our lives, for our families”, Marleni acknowledged.
Mujeres Emplea plans to reach more than 70,000 women in Chile and is funded by the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
Women in Latin America and the Caribbean have suffered disproportionate job and income losses as a result of the pandemic. The impacts of COVID-19 have been especially difficult for women because of their over-representation in the hardest-hit sectors of the economy, combined with increases in the share of domestic work and unpaid care work that women have shouldered, as well as digital technology skills gaps.
Nevertheless, Chile is one of the countries placing gender equality at the core of its recovery efforts.
Based on stories (1, 2 and 3) originally posted on UN Chile. Editorial support by the Development Coordination Office.
For more information about the United Nations' work in Chile, please visit: Chile.UN.org.
