Antofagasta, January 23, 2025. A recent event held at the Antofagasta Yacht Club featured a presentation titled “Mining Businesswomen to the Next Level”: Installation of Capacities for the Generation of Competitive Advantages Associated with the Commercial Positioning of Companies in the Mining and Energy Market.” Code:24PDTA-266470 was officially launched with the participation of prominent authorities, businesswomen, and key figures of the mining and energy sector in the region. This initiative, led by Agencia Redes and supported by the Antofagasta Corfo Committee, has as its main objective to provide business skills to women entrepreneurs so they can strengthen their positioning in competitive markets such as mining and energy.
On the occasion of the project’s initiation, the project manager, founder, and general manager of Agencia Redes, Paola Quezada, extended a welcome to the participants and provided a comprehensive overview of the technology dissemination program. The objective of this program is to facilitate the effective integration of capabilities within companies led by women in the Second Region. The program is designed to enhance the promotion and dissemination of their businesses, optimize their value propositions, and generate competitive advantages that will elevate their commercial positioning within the market. It is also noteworthy that the program is characterised by its decentralised focus, with businesswomen beneficiaries hailing from five municipalities in the region: Antofagasta, Taltal, Calama, Tocopilla and Sierra Gorda.
Furthermore, guest speakers delivered keynote speeches: Dominique Viera, who serves as president of APRIMIN and vice president of operations of the Metaproject Group, and Alessandra Alkimin, who is an international mentor and director of Federaminas Mulher in Brazil. Both speakers shared their experiences and strategies for empowering female leadership in traditionally masculinised sectors.
Reactions of authorities and participants
During the inauguration, Ms. Melissa Gajardo Castillo, the Executive Director of the Corfo Antofagasta Committee, emphasised the positive impact that this initiative will have on the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the region. She stated that this demonstrates the existence of effective instruments, such as the one in question, and that nine projects of this nature have already been approved. Furthermore, she noted that resources will be allocated from the 2025 portfolio to approve numerous additional projects.
Paola Quezada, founder and general manager of Agencia Redes, an entity awarded with the PDT, provided insight into the motivation behind the development of this project, stating: She states that she was most affected by the realisation that women make up a mere 8% of those leading mining supply companies at a national level. This, she argues, does not indicate a paucity of women in business, but rather highlights the need for collaboration and mutual empowerment through the sharing of experiences, knowledge, and skills. She emphasises the importance of the empowerment factor in this regard, stating that the most crucial aspect is the ability to effect transformation, both as women and as leaders. In this regard, she acknowledges the significant contribution of the speakers, who provided invaluable guidance and tools to achieve the objectives of the event, thereby facilitating increased sales in the mining and energy sectors.
In her contribution, Alessandra Alkimin reflected on the barriers encountered by women in the mining industry, stating that mining is a male-dominated field, a phenomenon that has persisted over time. She cited Russia as an example, where women are prohibited from driving large mining trucks due to the perceived risk, highlighting a discrepancy between her own experience in Brazil and Chile, where such roles are not considered hazardous. She emphasised that these discrepancies stem from a lack of opportunities, creating a pervasive environment of barriers and challenges. Finally, Dominique Viera communicated to the participants the significance of perseverance and innovation: ‘The most crucial aspect is to be methodical, to possess a strategy and not only to have the aspiration, but also to commit ourselves with a group of friends and collaborate together to enhance our businesses’, she concluded.
The event was attended by several high-ranking officials, including Ricardo Diaz, Governor of the Antofagasta Region; Dafne Pino, Seremi of Energy and Deputy Seremi of Mining; Hanna Goldener, Seremi of Women and Gender Equity; Romina Figueroa, Seremi of Science of the Antofagasta, and Atacama Regions; Paulina Larrondo, Seremi of Government; and Paula Orellana, Regional Councillor of Antofagasta.
Commitment to the future
The ‘Women Mining Entrepreneurs to the Next Level’ programme serves to reinforce the region’s dedication to inclusive development and gender equity. The programme’s initiation signifies the commencement of a series of activities, encompassing workshops, mentorship, and networking events. These activities are designed to enhance the technical and interpersonal competencies of the participants.
The programme’s primary activities consist of a series of training workshops related to management and positioning in the mining and energy market, networking events, and a strong emphasis on empowerment to achieve a positive transformation of the beneficiaries and strengthen their businesses.