The World Bank (WB) appointed the Colombian Claudia María González, currently financial vice president of Bancóldex, as the new winner of the Gender Leadership Award, granted by its Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, or MIGA for its acronym in English.
It is the first time since the recognition was established in 2016 that the WB favors a person of Latin American origin.
The award ceremony will take place this Thursday during a ceremony in Washington.
According to MIGA, the award is given to honor the work of executives in the financial sector who throughout their careers have promoted the causes of women’s empowerment and gender equality.
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“MIGA is pleased to recognize this year’s honoree, Claudia María González Arteaga, CFO of Bancóldex (Colombian Business Development Bank). His dedication to innovation has boosted access to credit for MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) in Colombia. Their work is helping to build a green economy and support gender equality in the country,” the Agency said when announcing the selection of González as the winner of the 2023 edition.
González is an industrial engineer from Universidad de los Andes and has extensive experience in capital markets, finance, human resources and financial planning.
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In the private sector, she has worked as vice president of Group Treasury for Red Multibanca Colpatria, manager of the Treasury Unit of Granbanco – Bancafé, and director of Investments and Treasury of Banco Cafetero (Bancafé).
Before being appointed financial vice president of Bancóldex, Claudia served within the same organization as Treasury Director between 2008 and the beginning of 2016.
“This award for female leadership is a recognition of Colombia, Bancóldex and the business women of our country who work every day for the growth of the country. We will continue working to generate better financing conditions for all these businesses led by women because supporting a woman is supporting her family, her environment and the society that surrounds her,” said the executive after learning of her appointment. .
This is, without a doubt, an important issue. According to the WB, women represent on average 25 percent of new owners and company directors, while men account for 75 percent.
In global terms, their participation in the labor force is 47 percent compared to 74 percent for men. Which, according to the World Bank, limits the economic growth of countries and the increase in family income.
Their work is helping to build a green economy and support gender equality in the country.
“MIGA is committed to improving development outcomes in its client countries with the twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. MIGA recognizes that these twin goals cannot be met and that no country, community or economy can reach its potential, without the full and equal participation of women, men, girls and boys,” the organization maintains.
An effort that in Colombia is bearing fruit thanks to the efforts of people like González with the support of Bancóldex.
One of the beneficiaries of these initiatives is Lacy Cruz, a businesswoman who makes clothing assembly lines for international companies such as Falabella, and Colombian companies such as Arturo Calle and Studio F.
Her company has 80 employees (95% of them women heads of household), and has been able to grow thanks to Bancóldex’s Women Entrepreneurs line of credit, with a loan of 220 million Colombian pesos (approximately 45 thousand dollars).
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON
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