In a Bolivia where the lives of vulnerable women have been a series of misfortunes, Lynne Patterson, an American teacher, and Carmen Velasco, a Bolivian teacher who met in El Alto, decided to create Pro Mujer. He was born in 1990. They referred to him as a social enterprise to empower women through economic support, business training, and basic health care. And judging by those helped, the whole system is quite inspiring.

Since then, they have given US $ 4,400 million in microcredits, provided 10 million check-ups and preventive medical care and affected the lives of 2 million women. In 2021, they disbursed US $ 269 million, assisted 400,000 women in health services, trained another 150,000. Among its donors, foundation CHanel, Deloitte, Citi, JP Morgan, Kellogg, Microsoft, Pfizer and Avonto name a few.

Its headquarters are in Mexico, Nicaragua and Bolivia and last week they opened offices in Guatemala. and between us They have 12 offices in Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán and Buenos Aires. There they train, provide loans and have medical offices which helps prevent cervical cancer, breast cancer and chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

a new paradigm

Since 2017, Pro Mujer has been directed by Uruguayan Carmen Correa who lives pushing the limits to expand coverage and who is focused on what he calls investing with a gender lens.

“It’s about investing in women -led businesses, where there are economic return, whose diversity is promoted and its products have an impact on improving the lives of women, in addition to bringing together more entrepreneurs ”, defines Clarion This economist with extensive management and strategic planning experience from the National Agency for Research and Innovation (ANII) in Uruguay, the Avina Foundation, Endeavor, the IDB and the OAS.

The examples

One example is Ana Laura, who created Pacha Saludable in her native Salta five years ago. It is a nutritional food enterprise, such as chips, granola and cereals, supported by training and loans. meaning take a step from street sales to businesses and fairs. Now it is an SME with its own factory in the heart of the city: “We have become professionals, we have 4 production partners and 4 more who manage marketing, advertising and finance. In the future we want to sell to other provinces and export. “

Another case was that of Mariah Acosta, from Tucumán. She said that thanks to a loan she was able to buy merchandise for her mother’s store and with the profits, she opened a food house. As a transgender woman, Mariah says, “I feel more with me, there are other people who trust me and don’t see me as someone else. She is currently studying cosmetic and beauty courses and will soon open her own school.

According to Correa, “there are endless programs for entrepreneurs but they are focused on the most dynamic and with exponential growth. We went there with that woman entrepreneurs by demand, which tends to grow but is limited. We offer you tools and interaction space so that with some you can build synergy in a world where many have to create their own work and where for women the ceiling is not just glass, there are so many broken stairs. ”

Just released the strap included Mercado Pago is an ambitious training system to cover 2,500 women entrepreneurs in the region. Find it to be accessible and possible. Sana.