‘Goals and dreams’ was the theme of TIAW’s board meeting before the conference proper, and its focus was an entrepreneurship initiative aimed, through imaginative use of technology, at connecting TIAW members from all of its forty networks into a global community. A major challenge for women entrepreneurs, according to TIAW’s Americas’ membership chair, Linda Schmidt, is finding trusted resources of all kinds. This initiative, TIAW is convinced, can supply the right connections. Diane herself will be taking an active part in bringing the plan into action.
TIAW’s new president Barbara Gohn echoed this theme of connecting in her vision for the occasion, as serving ‘as a catalyst bringing together women of the region, no matter what association they belong to, or work they do, to gain a better understanding of each other and build relationships’.
TIAW was fortunate indeed to have two of Chile’s new women ministers, Laura Albornoz, Women’s Ministry, and Ingrid Antonijevic, Minister of the Economy, to open the event. Sessions at the conference, says Diane, were both lively and valuable, with some very powerful and progressive women as speakers. Some advances are mind-blowing, particularly in the technological area: 5c phones for Africa and solar phone kiosks for India, for instance.
Also impressive was the session on how positive change is being achieved for women in Chile — they have made great strides in a short time. They only got the vote in 1948 but now have good education and daycare centres and, probably uniquely, half the members of the cabinet are now women.
Village Bank success
Maria, who set up a clothing business, aged 63 with the aid of a loan. She feels better now than she did at 30, has stopped smoking, goes to the gym, sells her products and feels her dream is coming true. A transformation for only $200!
There is still far to go, for only 38% of women are working, but the level of awareness among younger women is highly encouraging, and organizations such as the Women Leaders of Chile have the support of the government. To take one marker of progress — a group set up for women entrepreneurs and business owners has built up a membership of over 3000 in just two years.
Equally successful is the local Village Bank, which is supported by TIAW through its microenterprise development program. The scheme lends money to poor women at good rates to encourage them to set up businesses. Some 20 women have already been helped by TIAW funds, and Diane visited two of them who were going for a second loan.
‘Inspiring’, she said, ‘to meet women who were so full of energy and determined to make the most of a great opportunity to take their destiny into their own hands.’
The comparatively high standard of living in Chile might make it appear an unlikely site for a Village Bank, for most are in Africa and other third world areas of great poverty. It came about through a connection between the USA and Chile, and to great effect, for the changes it is instrumental in making are very good to see.
Diane cherishes many memories of informal moments in her trip — shopping for lapis jeweler, visiting Pablo Neruda’s house, touring a winery and dining in a revolving restaurant. But perhaps her favourite was pisco sour — an aperitif which she sampled at every stop. Patago
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