Despite President's Efforts, Chile's Gender Gap Is Still Huge - Building Gender Balanced Business

• A year before stepping down as the first female president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet has made some advances in gender equity in the traditionally patriarchal society.

• Politicians and activists salute changes Bachelet made in the pension system a significant rise in the number of creches. Other changes include preschool programs and an integrated social protection system for early childhood, all of which allow more women to work.

• Next on her agenda is legislation to balance males and female candidates for elected positions, to ensure greater equity in political participation.

• But the wage gap in Chile is large by international standards, with women earning 30% to 40% less than men in the same work. Also, Chile still does not afford women equal rights within a marriage or family.

• Lorena Fries, the president of the Humanas Corporation, told IPS, “In all fairness, we must say there is a positive feeling about the work on women’s rights done by the Bachelet administration.”

The IPS-Inter Press Service article