ComunidadMujer

About us

ComunidadMujer is an independent and inclusive organization, leader in debate and research on gender issues. We actively propose the creation of public policies that promote women´s participation in the labor and political spheres, strengthening work-life integration and family and social corresponsibility.

ComunidadMujer has a board of directors and an advisory council integrated by 57 women leaders from the academic, business, public service, political, culture, arts and media worlds. Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women and ex President of Chile is one of our most distinguished members.

Our organization counts with the support of a team of high level professionals and collaborators who ensure that the four areas of development are aligned with our mission. These areas are research, social capital, leadership and business & entrepreneurship.

Our work is enhanced by an important group of collaborators and members that share our vision and participate in our initiatives aimed at generating new initiatives to create opportunities that favor women’s participation in the labor and public spheres.

ComunidadMujer is a generator of networks. Our collaborators since 2002 include international organisms, the Chilean government, universities, think tanks, non government organizations, research centers, and civil society organizations and private companies, amongst others.

Our mission

“To facilitate women’s participation in the labor world in equal conditions and promote a harmonious work-life integration together with family and social corresponsibility in children’s care and upbringing”.

We want a country that provides equal opportunities for men and women from childhood, and that makes them jointly responsible for the well being of their families and as regards social commitment, civil participation and public life. This is our vision for Chile.

Our objectives

• Carry out research and diagnoses, and design proposals for action and public and corporate policies aimed at eliminating discrimination against women and diminishing social, cultural, economic and legal barriers that impede the integration of women under equal conditions in the labor and public spheres.
• Support the development of women in the labor market, and their economic independence and entrepreneurial initiatives through training, mentoring and development programs.
• Strengthen women´s leadership and participation in public institutions, professional associations and private enterprises.
• Promote social capital by identifying, supporting and ensuring a higher visibility of women’s organizations that promote social capital as a development resource for their communities.
• Establish permanent activities such as consultancies, workshops and programs aimed at promoting work-life integration in today’s organizations, strengthening women’s leadership and promoting training and personal and professional development for women workers.

Areas of development

Research
Through our research we aim to promote policies that favor higher levels of participation of women in the labor market under equal conditions. We generate studies, proposals and relevant information about the marketplace for women and the aspects of social and personal life that affect them.
This department counts with a series of tools, such as the Women´s Voice Questionnaire, the Women and Work Barometer, brief reports and academic literature, amongst others, that enable us to place these issues on the public agenda through opinion columns, participation as speaker in seminars and many other areas of public debate, amongst others.

Leadership Center
Aimed at promoting the full development of leadership potential in women, in both the public and private spheres, through seminars, workshops, mentoring and consultancies.
We understand women´s leadership to be a conscious attitude in women aimed at assuming a protagonist role in their personal, professional and social development together with the capacity to encourage and commit others to reach common objectives and aims.
>Political Leadership Program. The objective of this program is to foment women´s leadership and the participation of women in politics, public institutions, professional associations and labor unions.
Activities: Consultancies// Mentoring Program // Work-Life Program by ComunidadMujer and the Catholic University of Chile // Conferences, seminars and workshops on leadership // Political Leadership Program.

Business and Entrepreneurship Center
This professional unit specializes in services for business development with the main objective of generating innovative, competitive, sustainable and socially responsible companies led by women.
Activities: Talks and seminars that promote entrepreneurship and business development, organizational leadership, empowerment // Entrepreneurship training and workshops// Business management training and workshops.

Social Capital
With the aim of integrating women from different socioeconomic realities we facilitate the use of resources that ComunidadMujer offers such as seminars, workshops and talks by experts. We also publicly announce all efforts carried out by women to help their community members combat poverty.
Acknowledgment and support to grass roots organizations led by women:
> ComunidadMujer Award: Unique in Chile, this award has, since 2006, distinguished grass roots organizations led by women that successfully carry out activities aimed at helping their communities to combat poverty and motivate other social organizations towards reaching this same objective.
>Training and development of social leaders: Strengthening of leadership and social capital of women leaders of grass roots organizations, aimed at enhancing their capacity to carry our collective actions with a common benefit at a local and regional level.

Public Issues
We create proposals for actions and public policies aimed at eliminating discrimination against women and diminishing social, cultural, economical and legal barriers that limit the inclusion of women under equal conditions in the labor and public spheres. ComunidadMujer is an acknowledged benchmark in gender issues in Chile’s most important communication channels as well as in international media outlets, where we are constantly providing information, analyses and opinions. We also have a high number of followers in the main social networks, including Facebook and Twitter.

Milestones

Impact on public agenda and public policies.

• Publications: In alliance with the Ministry of Work, University of Chile, UNDP, IADB and ILO.
• Women´s Voice Questionnaire
• Women and Work Barometer
• Brief Reports ComunidadMujer: Women and Work
• Book: The Earthquake after the Earthquake. Trauma and resilience.

Participation as an advisory board for high profile government and international organizations.

• Social security reform (2006)
• Work and equity (2007)
• Women, work and maternity (2010)
• Advisory board for The UNDP Human Development Report,
• Advisory board for the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
• Mining Gender Committee

We have carried out a systematic and permanent work plan through our spokespersons to bear influence and place the most relevant issues for the advancement of women on the public agenda.

• Parliamentary work
• Dialogue with government authorities
• Interviews and articles
• Opinion columns
• Seminars

>> View Corporate Brief