By Lara Ezequiel, 2013 G(irls)20 Summit Delegate, Representing Brazil
Nowadays in Brazil, women are better able to guarantee their place in the economy, labor market, universities and politics. This can be attributed to the country's new stage of development. Women who are taking part in this growth are making a big effort to ensure their place in economic, political and educational spheres in Brazil.
With this new access, women are shifting paradigms, traditional concepts, norms, and standards. Media, research, infographics and daily routine identify the new trend of women's participation within the community. One of the causes of women's participation is rising female entrepreneurship. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) in 2010, women represented half of Brazil's entrepreneurs. Women are gradually becoming predominant in large and small-scale companies. This shift increases with higher education and changes in familial structures.
Although we have seen a change in the workforce, however, Brazilian women still have several challenges to overcome before they can achieve overall success in political and economic participation. The labor and economic disparity between men and women is still very large. Many women do not have access to a good education and professional qualifications because of their family obligations, despite the current changes. I do believe that family is important, however, girls and women have the right to full participation in the economic, political and scientific fields. Furthermore, investment in girls and women will be critical to ensure there is progress of girls and women in these areas.
A barrier to many women, in terms of education, is the lack of resources to reconcile their family, professional and educational life. Often this leads to giving up education or work when they begin a family. Despite the development in entrepreneurship, many women fail to thrive because they lack foundational investment in their personal as well as business management skills. By empowering women economically and giving them a better orientation to entrepreneurial life, we will be giving them better resources to manage their new venture and their lives in general. Through a successful professional life, women can therefore increase the economical and political development of Brazil.
Lara Ezequiel, 2013 G(irls)20 Summit Delegate, represented Brazil at the 2013 G(irls)20 Summit, June 15 - 19 in Moscow, Russia. Visit www.girls20summit.com to watch the G(irls)20 Summit.