Bogotá, March 2023. Mentoring programs for gender empowerment and an accelerator for technology-based ventures are some of the initiatives promoted by the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce as part of its strategy for social inclusion and gender equity that are part of a commitment to shared value, gender, diversity and inclusion that has been applied since 2019 and that considers employability, entrepreneurship and inclusive chaining as its central axis.

These programs aim to generate a more competitive, equitable and sustainable business environment, with more and better companies.

Although progress has been made, there are still challenges in this regard, therefore, according to the results of the CCB's Great Business Survey (GEE), with which an X-ray of the business fabric is carried out and details are exposed on the role of the female entrepreneur, it is stated that 56.7% of the companies that have a single owner, belong to a man, while 42.9% belong to a woman. Regarding who makes the main decisions in companies, 29.5% of the companies affirmed that a man is the one who exercises this role, secondly, 43.7% affirmed that decisions are made jointly, finally, 24.0% admitted that it is a woman who makes the main decisions.

The GEE shows that the percentage of management positions held by women is only 10.2% in companies led by men with at least 3 people employed. In contrast, in companies led by women, with more than three people employed, this percentage increases to 73.1%.

Regarding sectors, 19.3% of the companies in the industrial sector are led by women, 30% are led by men and 50.7% are jointly. The commerce sector has 26.6% of companies led by men, 30.4% led by women and 43% as a whole. Lastly, the service sector is led by 21.7% women, 31.2% men and 47.1% as a whole.

Carolina Nieto, Corporate Affairs Manager of the CCB, affirmed that "To continue advancing in economic growth, we are convinced that it is necessary to work under a gender approach that allows us to reduce gaps in employment and be a more equitable and competitive society."

Other CCB actions

The CCB carried out the second version of the mentoring program for gender empowerment, with the launch of the internal course on inclusive communication and the work of public-private articulation in which, together with the Secretariat for Women, the project began with the District care system, developing two pilot projects in the Bosa and Kennedy Care Blocks, which brought together 90 women with entrepreneurial ideas.

The SGDI - EQUIPARES work and gap-closing plan was established, which allows the entity to have a control board and progress of the commitments established in the 8 dimensions of the process system led by the entity's Gender Diversity and Inclusion Committee Composed of senior management, delegates elected by employees and leaders of each dimension.

"We are making a great effort to be a company that leads by example, at the CCB we are committed to a Sustainability and Shared Value Policy with which we contribute to the promotion and generation of shared value, as well as responsible practices" – Nieto concluded.