How do we open the doors of the digital economy to 3.8 million women?

Those of us who work in international organizations know that ours is a world in which good intentions and great declarations abound.

My personal and professional challenge, however, has always been to turn the words that are reflected in official documents into concrete actions.

In my career I have also come to the conclusion that in order to achieve real changes in society, the action of communities, governments, the work of international organizations, the actions of civil society, the efforts of corporations or individual wills.

We need to add more actors and work together.

In my work with women in the Americas and the Caribbean, I have become aware of the opportunities and risks that the digital economy represents and that in order to achieve truly inclusive development, it is necessary to close the digital divide.

Based on these three elements, it is a great satisfaction for me that a few days ago we announced the launch of the TodosConectadas platform, with which we seek to expand training, entrepreneurship and networking opportunities to 3.8 million women in America Latin and the Caribbean.

The actors involved in its creation and launch, the Board of Directors of the Regional Women's Conference - chaired at this time by the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity of Chile -, Mastercard, Microsoft, Eidos Global and UN Women, are shows that it is possible to articulate cooperation between public and private entities to achieve specific development objectives.

It is also a step forward towards the goal that I have made almost my personal cause since my appointment: to close the digital gap between men and women in Latin America and the Caribbean with initiatives such as the digital basic basket, which we launched together with ECLAC and the ILO .

Women need to return to generating income.

And they need it now.

The pandemic has meant more unemployment among them and a setback to which we cannot resign ourselves

Closing that gap is imperative in the midst of the devastating economic and social effects that the pandemic is leaving us, with five million more people in extreme poverty, for a total of 96 million.

These are figures that we have not had in the region for a long time.

Women need to return to generating income.

And they need it now.

The pandemic closed many sources of employment and unequal access to training, decent work and data and technology has meant more unemployment among women and a setback to which we cannot resign ourselves.

TodosConectadas offers, for example, a free training space to train in different skills related to the development of online ventures, but also on administration, personal branding, project management, marketing, digitization, digital commerce, among others.

They will also be able to connect with opportunities to improve the functioning of their businesses already underway through digital tools that optimize their processes and highlight their products.

It is a tool designed both for women who are entering the digital world for the first time and for those who already have experience in their businesses.

Finally, TodosConectadas makes networking opportunities available to women through communities with similar objectives, which can help them develop alliances, learn from others and obtain new clients.

In other words, a tool designed both for women who are entering the digital world for the first time and for those who already have some experience in their businesses or in the world of work and are looking for opportunities to generate livelihoods or continue growing.

What excites me most about all this is that what they will find if they enter the platform right now is just the beginning.

The purpose is to enrich it with more and more resources and tools to facilitate the transition of women to the digital economy.

We will also seek to strengthen the community through periodic meetings of exchange, inspiration and learning.

And the best: our goal is to reach 3.8 million women in Latin America and the Caribbean.

That is why both the content of the platform, as well as the courses and tools are in Spanish and some in English and available in all the countries of the region.

I am confident that this gateway to the digital economy will soon become a torrent of women from all over Latin America and the Caribbean who will begin to forge their own destiny, that of their families and communities, and that of the entire region.

María Noel Vaeza

is regional director of UN Women for the Americas and the Caribbean. 

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