The Women Leaders Forum recently gathered business, academic, and political leaders at the Solís Theater to discuss female leadership and economic autonomy in Uruguay. The event was organized by the Organization of Women Entrepreneurs, Executives, and Entrepreneurs of Uruguay (OMEU). Its goal was to provide a platform for discussing ongoing gender gaps, recent progress, and ways to increase women’s participation in decision-making roles.
Florencia Herrera, president of OMEU, opened the forum by welcoming attendees and emphasizing the need for dialogue that can “make realities visible and build sustainable transformations.”
The first panel, moderated by journalist Valeria Superchi, addressed issues facing women leaders. Claudia Peisino from Uruguay XXI presented data on women’s involvement in foreign trade and exporting companies. She stated: “If we think about exporting companies, only three out of every ten people who work in them are women,” noting this is not due to lack of education. According to Peisino, National Institute of Statistics data shows women have higher levels of education than men.
Peisino highlighted that access to decision-making positions remains a challenge. Research conducted by Uruguay XXI with CINVE and UN Women found that only 6.4% of companies are majority-owned by women; just 9% of board seats are held by women; and only 12.8% of management roles are filled by women. In larger export firms, female representation drops further.
“This diagnosis is not meant to discourage us, but rather to help us understand where we stand and what challenges lie ahead,” said Peisino. She noted there has been some progress—such as more women participating in employment overall and an increase in entrepreneurship—but barriers remain when scaling up businesses with export potential.
Peisino pointed out that internationalization can help close gender gaps because woman-led exporting firms tend to employ more women. She encouraged entrepreneurs to consider exporting as a strategy for growth and leadership development.
She also discussed obstacles such as lack of information or concerns about costs that may prevent women from pursuing exports: “Behind the numbers are women with ideas, quality products, and leadership,” she said.
Uruguay XXI offers support tools for those interested in international markets—helping identify market niches or advising on export requirements—to reduce these barriers. The Más Comercio program aims to make these resources accessible across Uruguay so more female entrepreneurs can benefit from them. “There are women with quality products…who just need information and support to get started,” said Peisino.
Other speakers included Andrea Bastianini from the Uruguayan Chamber of Commerce and Services who spoke about how gender perspectives have become part of governance agendas despite ongoing resistance within family businesses; while political scientist Niki Johnson reviewed slow progress for female representation in politics due largely to structural barriers like unequal care responsibilities or economic dependence.
Panelists agreed that existing gender gaps stem from broader social structures rather than individual shortcomings. Presentations underscored the role foreign trade could play in helping advance equality among business leaders.
