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ECUADOR - Industry

María Paz Jervis

President, Chamber of Industry and Production (CIP)

Bio

María Paz Jervis is a lawyer and bachelor of liberal arts (USFQ). She has a diploma in community law from the Jean Monet Chair (Universidad Salamanca). She also has a Diploma in gender, violence and justice (FLACSO). She has a master’s in international relations with a specialty in international security and human rights (FLACSO). She has worked as an undergraduate university professor in law courses, political science and international relations and at the War Academy, and she was also a visiting professor at the Diplomatic Academy in 2020. She currently serves as the Executive President of the Chamber of Industries and Production (CIP). She is the first woman to hold the position in 86 years of history. She is also a researcher on issues related to gender, political participation, and international security.

María Paz Jervis, President of the Chamber of Industry and Production (CIP), talks to TBY about diverfication in the economy, gender equality, and more. How has diversification evolved in Ecuador […]

María Paz Jervis, President of the Chamber of Industry and Production (CIP), talks to TBY about diverfication in the economy, gender equality, and more.

How has diversification evolved in Ecuador in the last year?

When speaking about representing companies or representation, we are talking about civil society. And this is something brand new because civil society is considered as the third sector. When I was first approached for this position, in the midst of analyzing de opportunities to influence change from this space, I realized that it is imperative to work in strengthening the ties between companies’ representation / business associations and other stakeholders of civil society. The fact that I am the first woman in this position in over 86 years of existence of this Chamber is incredible. It is a shame that it took this long to see a female leadership in these spaces of enterprise representations. I am just crossing through a door that many other women opened after years of advocacy and hard work. I feel a great responsibility because being in my position means that many women and men try to break this glass ceiling. In Ecuador, Latin America, and the region in general, we cannot even speak of the challenges we face as women living in a patriarchal society. There are vast differences in our society, but much more worrying are the immense inequalities faced by women, young people, ethnic groups in different areas.. Furthermore, I have to also be honest because I have had certain privileges, like going to private schools and having access to many things in other parts of the world; however, in Ecuador, such privileges are rare. So, for me, it’s easy to speak and fill those positions.

Can you elaborate on the Ecuadorian delegation of 30% Club Ecuador and the benefits this will bring regarding gender equality in the private sector?

The principles we defend as industry and as employers organizations are , the defense of free markets, and the enforcement of the rule of law. This definitely is in harmony wthe the basic principles of democracy; however, we cannot speak about democracy if more than 50% of the population is excluded from leadership positions. The 30% Club initiative began in Ecuador in 2022, and it works toward creating ways to achieve greater gender balance at all levels within organizations, not by trying to make exceptions just because of gender, but providing opportunities to prepare women to reach leaderships positions. That is a misunderstanding it is important to clear up. Everyone has to go through the same level of preparation, so we just want to open the doors for women because, as a society, most of the time, women are not taught to fight for such positions, also dealing with barriers as the impostor syndrome. In the time I have been in the Chamber, I have seen that there  are many people withing the industry sector, women and men, that are conscious and and want to create changes and look the 30% Club as a key driver to achieve it.. They are looking to hire more women as directors, but face the a problem that do not know any or when to  approach them, and the women end up refusing the opportunity. What we do is offer our database of women that are qualified and ready to fulfill those positions. We also have alliances with an international network and offer courses or training to help them acquire the skills to accept these positions. Sometimes, even though some women are properly qualified, they may be not be prepared to take on senior positions, partly because they never saw themselves assuming such roles.

What steps is the chamber taking to protect formal industries in Ecuador?

The country has to make this huge commitment to the formal industries, which CIP is committed to because it is in line with our principles. One thing that we are not speaking out about as much as we should is the increasing informal sector in our region. In the case of Ecuador, this is shocking in terms of the number of people it employs, and most of them are women and young people, and it concentrates in agricultural activities in rural areas. A problem that is becoming bigger through time is the informal and irresponsible mining, threatening formal mining activities, that is responsible with the environment, employs people in proper conditions and complies with the legal framework. One of our main principles in the chamber is our responsibility toward sustainability and sustainable growth, thereforewe represent responsible mining, and that is what we are fighting for. A large informal mining sector also means no controls or taxes to the state; it also implies a risk of not complying with labor rights and are being exploited. On the other hand, another big problem for ecuadorian society is organized crime that is nurture by informal activities, allowing that it stays in our community at all levels. Our advocacy, therefore, is to defend formal work, and this is our main agenda for next year. We have to speak out loud about how important responsible or formal mining is for our country’s development.

How has diversification evolved in Ecuador in the last year?

When speaking about representing companies or representation, we are talking about civil society. And this is something brand new because civil society is considered as the third sector. When I was first approached for this position, in the midst of analyzing de opportunities to influence change from this space, I realized that it is imperative to work in strengthening the ties between companies’ representation / business associations and other stakeholders of civil society. The fact that I am the first woman in this position in over 86 years of existence of this Chamber is incredible. It is a shame that it took this long to see a female leadership in these spaces of enterprise representations. I am just crossing through a door that many other women opened after years of advocacy and hard work. I feel a great responsibility because being in my position means that many women and men try to break this glass ceiling. In Ecuador, Latin America, and the region in general, we cannot even speak of the challenges we face as women living in a patriarchal society. There are vast differences in our society, but much more worrying are the immense inequalities faced by women, young people, ethnic groups in different areas.. Furthermore, I have to also be honest because I have had certain privileges, like going to private schools and having access to many things in other parts of the world; however, in Ecuador, such privileges are rare. So, for me, it’s easy to speak and fill those positions.

Can you elaborate on the Ecuadorian delegation of 30% Club Ecuador and the benefits this will bring regarding gender equality in the private sector?

The principles we defend as industry and as employers organizations are , the defense of free markets, and the enforcement of the rule of law. This definitely is in harmony wthe the basic principles of democracy; however, we cannot speak about democracy if more than 50% of the population is excluded from leadership positions. The 30% Club initiative began in Ecuador in 2022, and it works toward creating ways to achieve greater gender balance at all levels within organizations, not by trying to make exceptions just because of gender, but providing opportunities to prepare women to reach leaderships positions. That is a misunderstanding it is important to clear up. Everyone has to go through the same level of preparation, so we just want to open the doors for women because, as a society, most of the time, women are not taught to fight for such positions, also dealing with barriers as the impostor syndrome. In the time I have been in the Chamber, I have seen that there  are many people withing the industry sector, women and men, that are conscious and and want to create changes and look the 30% Club as a key driver to achieve it.. They are looking to hire more women as directors, but face the a problem that do not know any or when to  approach them, and the women end up refusing the opportunity. What we do is offer our database of women that are qualified and ready to fulfill those positions. We also have alliances with an international network and offer courses or training to help them acquire the skills to accept these positions. Sometimes, even though some women are properly qualified, they may be not be prepared to take on senior positions, partly because they never saw themselves assuming such roles.

What steps is the chamber taking to protect formal industries in Ecuador?

The country has to make this huge commitment to the formal industries, which CIP is committed to because it is in line with our principles. One thing that we are not speaking out about as much as we should is the increasing informal sector in our region. In the case of Ecuador, this is shocking in terms of the number of people it employs, and most of them are women and young people, and it concentrates in agricultural activities in rural areas. A problem that is becoming bigger through time is the informal and irresponsible mining, threatening formal mining activities, that is responsible with the environment, employs people in proper conditions and complies with the legal framework. One of our main principles in the chamber is our responsibility toward sustainability and sustainable growth, thereforewe represent responsible mining, and that is what we are fighting for. A large informal mining sector also means no controls or taxes to the state; it also implies a risk of not complying with labor rights and are being exploited. On the other hand, another big problem for ecuadorian society is organized crime that is nurture by informal activities, allowing that it stays in our community at all levels. Our advocacy, therefore, is to defend formal work, and this is our main agenda for next year. We have to speak out loud about how important responsible or formal mining is for our country’s development.

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