Pro Mujer, a social enterprise focused on advancing gender equality in Latin America, and The UPS Foundation, the philanthropic arm of global logistics leader UPS, have joined forces to support the personal and business development of 500 women entrepreneurs in Mexico and Guatemala. The two organizations will also partner on the Gender Lens Investing Forum LatAm 2023.
Thanks to The UPS Foundation’s USD $100,000 gift, more women in Latin America will be able to access the online training platform Emprende Pro Mujer. This platform provides access to skill development and training programs, a professional network of women entrepreneurs, and personalized mentoring sessions.
Participants will attend a course to help strengthen their leadership, self-esteem, and entrepreneurship skills.
“Currently, 60% of women in Guatemala live in poverty, while the poverty rate for women living in Mexico increased by 1.8% during the pandemic. Now, more than ever, it’s important to work together to support women who are using their micro-enterprises and projects to improve their lives,” said Carmen Correa, CEO of Pro Mujer. “We’re pleased and grateful to The UPS Foundation for the opportunity to work together to increase our impact on women entrepreneurs in both countries.”
“At The UPS Foundation, we create social impact by promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the communities where we operate,” said Erika Vargas, Director of Community Relations for Latin America at UPS. “This collaboration with Pro Mujer will put our logistics know-how to work to help women entrepreneurs learn skills to grow their businesses, navigate export processes and expand their reach, improve their results, hire more employees, and invest in their families and local communities.”
Additionally, as part of this collaboration, UPS volunteers will participate in mentoring sessions with the entrepreneurs. Experts from both organizations will also work together to create new micro-content for the program.
The collaboration between the two organizations will also focus on strengthening the 2023 GLI Forum LatAm, the premier gender lens investing event in Latin America dedicated to positioning gender lens investing as an effective driver of equality and economic development in the region.
The UPS Foundation’s philanthropic approach centers on four focus areas: health and humanitarian relief, equity and economic empowerment, local engagement, and planet protection. Established in 1951, The UPS Foundation leads UPS’s corporate citizenship programs and is responsible for facilitating the company’s involvement with local, national, and global communities.
About Pro Mujer
For more than 32 years, Pro Mujer has provided services and tools to women in Latin America to help them reach their full potential and become agents of change in their communities. The organization’s comprehensive, holistic model is focused on facilitating women’s financial inclusion in Latin America, expanding access to health services, and providing skilling and training opportunities.
Pro Mujer is a pioneer in gender lens investing in Latin America and works to raise awareness of how it can be used to close existing gender gaps and boost productivity. Its work is closely aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and contributes tangible results to the following SDGs:
1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, and 16.For more information, please visit www.promujer.org