We live in a world that still limits women’s full development and active participation in society. According to a recent report published by the World Economic Forum, at the rate we are going, it will take 131 years to close the gender gap. On average, over the past 17 years, the gap has been reduced by only 0.24 percentage points per year. The discouraging data is further reflected in the extreme situation facing women in Latin America, who are 3.4% poorer than their male counterparts, have a 23% lower labor force participation, a 20% wage gap, and little access to education and health care.
In 1989, two educators, Lynne Patterson and Carmen Velasco, came together and recognized the urgent need to comprehensively address gender inequality to improve the lives of the next generation. Inspired by women’s resiliency, work ethic, and leadership as powerful agents of change, Lynne and Carmen committed themselves to providing women with the tools they need to reach their full potential. In 1990, Pro Mujer was born in El Alto, Bolivia.
In 2023, 33 years later, and having impacted the lives of more than 2.5 million women, Pro Mujer celebrated its long and impactful history at the Harvard Club in New York City. Hosted by Ana Demel, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Carmen Correa, CEO of Pro Mujer, more than 120 guests came together to connect, learn about the organization’s successes and challenges, and hear the incredible stories of women who went from being necessity entrepreneurs to owning more than one business, exporting products, and providing hundreds of employment opportunities in their communities.
Pro Mujer was also pleased to welcome Graham Macmillan, President of the Visa Foundation, who shared his experience working with Pro Mujer as a partner and highlighted the importance of the organization’s work on behalf of underserved women in the region, congratulating the team for all their hard work.
The event was truly inspiring, full of solidarity and support from supporters and partners committed to Pro Mujer’s vision and mission to create a world where all women have equal opportunities.
33 Years of Pro Mujer: A Journey Through Our Inspiring History
Over the past 33 years, Pro Mujer has expanded beyond Bolivia, launching its products and services in four additional countries—Mexico, Argentina, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. We’ve also reached 23 additional countries in Latin America through our partnerships and digital products.
Pro Mujer has always worked closely with women and actively listened to their needs, using this information and feedback to create an integrated and holistic model focused on expanding women’s access to health services, facilitating their financial inclusion, and providing them with access to entrepreneurship skilling and training opportunities.
Since it was founded, Pro Mujer has created innovative financial products and mechanisms to provide women entrepreneurs with the capital they need to grow and invest in their businesses. In recent months, the organization issued two gender bonds in Argentina, a cutting-edge financial mechanism that set a precedent for more actors to access sustainable financing via capital markets.
Pro Mujer offers a wide range of free and low-cost health and well-being services focused on preventing and treating diseases that primarily impact women, including breast cancer and diabetes. In 2023, we launched a series of digital initiatives, including telehealth services, online counseling, and three health chatbots that provide women with valuable information about breast cancer, mammograms, diabetes, and sexual and reproductive health.
Additionally, Pro Mujer offers opportunities for women to develop their skills via the Emprende Pro Mujer platform, an online skilling program focused on building women’s digital and financial education and strengthening their personal, leadership, and business management skills. In 2022, we launched a hybrid version of the program targeted to rural and Indigenous women in Southeast Mexico and Central America. The hybrid program combines in-person and online learning to ensure that women with lower levels of digital literacy can also benefit from the program. The program has impacted the lives of more than 42,000 women in Latin America.
This year, Pro Mujer announced the launch of the Emprende Pro Mujer platform in the United States and created a module specifically targeted to support Latin American immigrants to increase their economic independence and boost their personal and professional development.
This milestone is part of a recently launched partnership with the Clinton Foundation. As part of this partnership, Pro Mujer will expand our skilling services into the United States while scaling our health and well-being services in Central America.
Pro Mujer is undoubtedly an example of the power of gender lens investing. We’ve clearly shown how investing in women can lead to transformative change for individuals and their families, communities, and society as a whole.
Significant progress has been made toward gender equality in Latin America over the past 33 years, but there is still a long road ahead. Working together with our team and invaluable partners, it is possible to make lasting and sustainable change in Latin America.
We invite you to join Pro Mujer’s mission to make gender equality a reality. Learn more about how you can get involved: https://promujer.org/en/donate/
