Colsubsidio and Pro Mujer have joined efforts to incorporate a gender approach into the organization’s service offering. This partnership aims to strengthen women’s education-to-employment pathways, from early education through their participation in the productive sector.
Colsubsidio has made gender equity a strategic pillar of its management, with a clear focus on closing gaps that affect women. Internally, it promotes women’s participation in leadership roles and strengthens equitable practices through initiatives such as Mujeres C+, a program designed to foster the professional growth of female talent at all levels. For affiliated companies and workers, it has developed gender-focused products and services aimed at removing structural barriers and expanding opportunities.
This initiative positions Colsubsidio as a pioneer in Colombia in undertaking an institutional transformation of this scale, with direct impact in Bogotá and Cundinamarca.
Starting point
The data is clear: in Colombia, women’s participation in the labor market is 24 percentage points lower than that of men (DANE 2025). And although women surpass men in higher education attainment (26.3% vs. 22.7%), they continue to face greater barriers in translating that achievement into formal employment. Closing this gap requires intervention across the entire lifecycle—from classrooms to the labor market.
In this context, Colsubsidio has integrated a gender approach into its education and productivity services as part of a comprehensive strategy to drive impact from early education to workforce inclusion. To this end, it is supported by the Gender Knowledge Lab, Pro Mujer’s consulting arm, which provides specialized expertise. The initiative also includes operational support from Fundación Colombia Incluyente in its talent management and labor inclusion component.
Ruta Mujer: a decisive step toward transforming employment and businesses
As part of the project, Colsubsidio launched Ruta Mujer, a program with two main components in talent management. On one hand, it supports women in their path toward formal employment through career guidance, specialized training, and skills development. On the other, it works directly with participating companies to eliminate bias in recruitment processes, develop gender-responsive internal policies, and build more competitive and inclusive organizational cultures.
“From Pro Mujer’s GKL, we work alongside Colsubsidio to integrate a gender approach across the lifecycle—from education to workforce development—creating scalable solutions that can become benchmarks for other institutions in the country,” said Tomás González Bergez, Global Gender Manager and Head of GKL at Pro Mujer.
In the same vein, Claudia Camacho, Head of Education and Productivity at Colsubsidio, stated: “At six years old, girls’ potential is intact. Gender does not define their limits; opportunities do. That is why pathways do not begin at a job interview—they begin with the training and support we provide through Ruta Mujer.”
Looking ahead, Colsubsidio will continue strengthening a productivity model with a gender approach that enhances education-to-employment pathways across the lifecycle and can serve as a benchmark for transforming labor ecosystems in the country.
About Pro Mujer
For more than 35 years, Pro Mujer has provided services and tools to women in Latin America to help them reach their full potential, improve their living conditions, and become agents of change in their communities.
It operates through a holistic and integrated model that seeks to expand women’s access to healthcare services, increase their financial inclusion, and provide training opportunities.
More information: www.promujer.org
About Colsubsidio
Colsubsidio is a social enterprise serving Colombians, with nearly seven decades of experience generating opportunities to close social gaps, supporting the development of affiliated companies, and improving the quality of life of workers and their families. Its DNA is rooted in social innovation and sustainability, and it has evolved to meet people’s needs by offering services in subsidies, education, housing, recreation, healthcare, culture, employment, productivity, and more.
More information: www.colsubsidio.com
