A few years ago, I had the opportunity to interview the head of production for one of the largest industrial companies in the region. The chance to learn her story filled me with excitement. She had managed to become the first woman to hold the position of industrial director in a company with a long production history, but one historically marked by low female participation.
As the interview progressed, the questions multiplied, and I found it difficult to stick to the outline I had prepared. She shared the challenges—both personal and professional—that she faced to get there. It was at that moment that she said a phrase that, even today, still resonates in my mind:
“I worked hard so that motherhood wouldn’t show in me”
That confession left me speechless. It was a vivid testimony to the invisible weight many women carry as they try to balance their professional careers with their personal and family lives.
The Impact of Family Responsibilities on Professional Development
As a result of motherhood and the unequal distribution of caregiving tasks—women spend more than twice as many weekly hours as men on domestic and unpaid care tasks—many face labor market penalties that limit their professional growth. Some must leave their jobs, interrupt their career trajectories, reduce their working hours (and, consequently, their income), or adapt to more flexible occupations, often in the informal sector.
This reality is also reflected in current labor policies. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 26 countries offer paid maternity leave with an average duration of 14 weeks. Meanwhile, only 16 provide full-paid paternity leave, and in 6 of these, it does not exceed three days. This disparity makes it difficult to achieve a more balanced distribution of caregiving responsibilities, reinforcing the weight of these tasks on women. Moreover, these policies focus solely on traditional maternity and paternity models. They also fail to consider demographic changes in the region, such as the aging population, which has increased the demand for the care of older persons—a responsibility that still largely falls on women.
Corporate Benefits of Care Policies
Care policies can enhance talent management and productivity in companies. A UNICEF and Latin American Gender Justice Team study highlights that extending family leave and providing childcare services boosts productivity and staff commitment by reducing the tension between work and family life. Concern for the well-being and care of children can negatively affect productivity and performance.
In Mexico, research found that access to childcare services for women with children aged 0 to 3 years increased their labor participation by 4.5 percentage points, expanding the talent pool. Likewise, a study by the International Finance Corporation highlights that offering these benefits accelerates vacancy coverage, strengthens the retention of key skills, and reduces absenteeism and turnover. The study notes that care policies can generate up to a 25% return on investment in medium-sized companies.
Practical Strategies for Companies
Companies can pursue various action plans to implement care policies based on their specific contexts and needs. To delve deeper into these strategies, it is recommended to consult the Guide to Promote Gender Equality in Companies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Developed by the IDB in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the French Development Agency as part of the Gender Parity Initiatives (IPG for its acronym in Spanish), this guide offers practical tools to facilitate the adoption of inclusive policies, with an emphasis on key dimensions like care.
Suggested strategies include co-responsibility policies with the extension of paid paternity leave, the implementation of flexible work arrangements, access to childcare services through subsidies or on-site daycare centers, the formalization of special leave for family emergencies, and the review of objectives in cases of extended leaves. It is important that these benefits are not exclusively limited to women, as this could increase hiring costs and have unintended effects.
The story of this director reflects the challenges many women face in the workplace. But it also demonstrates that it is possible to begin transforming this reality through more equitable labor policies. These are not magical solutions or immediate changes but concrete actions that promote greater equality of opportunities. Her experience not only transformed her personal reality but also the dynamics within the organization. Her leadership became an inspiring model that drove the adoption of inclusive policies, benefiting talent retention and team commitment.
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