Corporate spending on suppliers continues to be affected by multiple gender biases. According to the IDB, only 1% of large companies’ supplier spending goes to women-owned businesses.
This figure reflects not only a deep inequality in economic opportunities but also a loss of value for companies that fail to tap into the innovation, resilience, and diversity that women entrepreneurs bring.
In Latin America, the situation is further exacerbated by labor informality. More than 50% of working women in the region are employed in the informal sector, participating in SMEs, cooperatives, or productive organizations without access to social security or protection mechanisms (UN Women). This reality limits their ability to integrate into formal value chains and to access financing, training, or strategic networks.
In response to these challenges, the Inclusive Business Space (ENI) at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, through its project JUNTOS Purchasing with 100% Social Impact, and Pro Mujer’s Gender Knowledge Lab launched an inclusive purchasing guide in Argentina that highlights productive organizations (SMEs, cooperatives, associations, etc.) as a fundamental pillar for building fairer value chains free of gender bias.
The publication provides a practical framework for companies to implement inclusive purchasing and sales processes, creating opportunities for women-led productive organizations. Specifically, the Gender Knowledge Lab contributed its technical expertise to integrate a gender perspective into these business practices.
Access for productive organizations to these markets can promote the economic inclusion of women in vulnerable contexts. However, for these opportunities to be truly equitable, it is essential to promote women’s leadership, increase access to financing, technology, and commercialization networks, and address structural barriers such as the unequal burden of unpaid care work.
This collaboration between JUNTOS and Pro Mujer aligns with their shared mission to expand women-led businesses’ access to formal markets and to help transform value chains toward more inclusive and sustainable models.
An inclusive value chain begins with those who produce; integrating a gender perspective from the outset multiplies impact. Download the full guide here: LINK
