By | Doron Avni
Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Emerging Markets, Google
During my recent trips to Mexico, I have discovered the richness of the country, its people, and its culture. I was delighted to see how the Mexican Southeast stands out for its great natural diversity. It is a region of great tourist attraction that treasures the valuable Indigenous legacy whose traditions continue to be passed down from generation to generation. And yet, more than 60% of the population lives in poverty, according to the National Population Council, and most of its municipalities have a high rate of marginalization and illiteracy. The situation among the region’s women is particularly worrisome: It is estimated that 8 out of 10 women live in poverty or extreme poverty, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography.
Convinced that technology can be a great equalizer of opportunities and that its benefits should be accessible to all, we at Google generated an alliance with the Mexican government to create “Mujeres, Fuerza del Sureste” (Women, the Southeast’s Strength), a project that promotes the socioeconomic development of thousands of women.
In 2023, Google.org made a donation of US$5M to Pro Mujer to provide microcredits and support 8,000 women entrepreneurs. This donation has been used not only for the training of 2,000 women but also for the delivery of more than 6,000 microcredits.
The program emerged as a result of a collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, and to date it has provided microcredits to boost the growth of the businesses of 2,900 women entrepreneurs and has offered training to a further 2,000 women through the courses “Emprende tu Negocio” (Start Your business) and “Fortalece tu Negocio” (Strengthen Your business), led by Pro Mujer in hybrid and digital formats.
Today, we are proud to announce that we continue to support this commitment, adding an additional donation of US$2M (for a total of US$7M), in order to continue expanding this work that seeks to reduce inequalities and the gender gap, thus strengthening women’s entrepreneurship in the region.
Ministry of Economy, Google, ProMujer, and women beneficiaries from Mexico’s Southeast during the event where the second part of the support to the project “Mujeres, Fuerza del Sureste” was announced
Ministry of Economy, Google, ProMujer, and women beneficiaries from Mexico’s Southeast during the event where the second part of the support to the project “Mujeres, Fuerza del Sureste” was announced
Over the next two years, Pro Mujer will continue to carry out programs aimed at promoting digital skills and financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs and/or small business leaders. It will reach 4,000 women in the region, of whom 3,300 will receive microcredits and 700 will receive training in financial literacy. This new phase of the project will begin at the end of this year and continue over the next two years.
Achievements of the Initial Phase
Collaboration and dialogue between business, government and non-profit organizations is essential to generate real changes that positively impact the communities that can most use it to develop.
Through this project, it was the first time that Google.org joined forces with the Mexican government to create a social impact program that represents the largest donation made by Google.org in the country.
I am very happy and satisfied to learn of these stories of resilience and overcoming of the women behind these numbers, such as Balbina Mendoza Navarro, a woman from Oaxaca who is a beneficiary of this initiative and has managed to grow her workshop Balbina Navarro Textiles beyond the community of Santo Tomás Jalieza Ocotlán. It is these testimonials that show us how technology can be the fuel that accelerates the economic and personal growth of many people in our region, and it is with this motivation that we will continue to work together.
