The initiative organized by the Belgolux Chamber of Commerce, the Chilean-British Chamber, the Chilean-Swiss Chamber and the Chilean-Indian Chamber of Commerce put on the table the important role women are playing in different fields, and especially the difficulties they have had to overcome to reach a prominent place in society.
VIDEO RECAP of the 3rd Female Leadership Summit in Chile:
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In its third edition, the moderator was Matilde Burgos, CNN journalist, together with distinguished panelists such as Gloria Hutt, Minister of Transport and Telecommunications of the Government of Chile, Alejandra Mustakis, President of the Entrepreneurs Association of Chile, Mónica Duwe, CEO of HSBC Chile bank and Director of the Chilean-British Chamber, Francisca Crovetto, national skeet shooting team member and first athlete to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Barbarita Lara, awarded as "Chilean Innovator of the Year" and one of the 100 Women Leaders of 2018.
A gathering that left the more than 300 attendees — mostly leading women from various fields — highly motivated.
Gloria Hutt, Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, spoke about the evolution of gender equality: "Progress is slow because general awareness is lacking, from equality in domestic work, something as basic as that, to eliminating prejudices when selecting positions in companies".
Asked about gender quotas in different fields, although she used to think differently, the minister gave her reasons for now being in favor: "I agree because without quotas there will be no changes, they are a necessary push. It may be temporary, but without quotas it will take us 300 years to achieve equality. The wave came upon us, we women have taken flight and we are tuning in closely with society's trends, and that strengthens our role".
At the summit, Alejandra Mustakis also commented: "This is a first-class gathering that helps us realize the female talent we have in this country". She also acknowledged that, although less than before, it is still complicated for women to occupy leading positions: "It becomes much harder to reach goals, because I feel that only now is value being given to being a woman in history...".
For her part, Mónica Duwe, CEO of HSBC Chile bank and Director of the Chilean-British Chamber, commented: "The banking world is perceived as very masculine, but it is not. Banks encourage women in leadership positions". At the same time, she highlighted the value of motherhood in any field: "If a woman has children and wants to stop working to care for them, that is perfectly fine, because the most important thing is to do everything with great passion, like raising children".
Francisca Crovetto, national skeet shooting team member and first athlete to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, commented on the change in mentality taking place across disciplines — for example, until recently a pregnant athlete was placed at the same level as a seriously injured one, due to time away: "Fortunately we managed to reverse that poor vision. Today the period of return to high-level competition is respected".
Finally, Barbarita Lara, awarded as "Chilean Innovator of the Year" and one of the 100 Women Leaders of 2018, commented on the difficulties she has had to overcome in a scientific field historically dominated by men: "I do not feel like a victim, but at the beginning it was complex because women need double validation when entering negotiations, for example in technology, where it is immediately assumed that the man is the one who knows".
In the photo (←) top: Andrea Rojas Van Dyck, Francisca Crovetto, Geer Criel, Gloria Hutt, Greg Holland, Mónica Duwe, Constanza Cárdenas Aguirre, Matilde Burgos; bottom: Alejandra Mustakis, Magdalena Díaz Le-Fort, Barbarita Lara.
The Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Chile supported the 3rd Female Leadership Summit.
The Embassy of Belgium in Chile was pleased to support this initiative: ..."It should be noted that female empowerment is an important and systematic focus of Belgium's foreign policy. In Belgium as in Chile, the presence of female managers in different economic and political sectors contributes greatly to the economic and social success of the country".
Acknowledgments and credits: Base press release : It Branding Studio. Photos: Visibles.cl for the 3rd Female Leadership Summit.
