The third edition of the Business Equity and Good Corporate Governance Report was presented by ChileMujeres and the Instituto de Directores de Chile (IdDC), with the participation of Álvaro García, Minister of Economy, Development, Tourism, and Energy. The report examines 170 companies that submitted information to the Financial Market Commission (CMF) for 2024. For the first time, it includes a comparative analysis of progress in diversity, shared responsibility, harassment prevention, adaptability, and formalization.
According to the report’s findings, these companies employ 795,690 people; women make up 38.7% of this workforce. However, female representation drops at higher organizational levels: women hold 30.2% of management positions and only 18.5% of senior management roles. Overall, women occupy 28.7% of top responsibility positions within organizations.
Minister García highlighted the government’s commitment to increasing women’s participation in the labor market. “The data presented reflect a reality that as a country we have the responsibility to transform. Female labor participation and equal opportunities are not only a matter of social justice but also a condition for sustainable economic growth. From the Ministry of Economy we are promoting reforms, incentives and policies that allow us to break down historical gaps and open real spaces so that more women can undertake, work and develop in all productive sectors. This report reminds us that advancing gender equity is advancing productivity, innovation and a more prosperous Chile for everyone,” he said.
During a panel discussion featuring Claudia Bobadilla (president of Grupo Cintac) and Marcela Achurra (director at Empresas Copec), participants discussed figures related to workplace harassment prevention. The report incorporates for the first time data on Law No. 21.643 (“Ley Karin”). In 2024, companies trained an average of 67.8% of their staff on these issues.
Regarding complaints filed during this period:
– 62.9% of organizations reported cases of workplace harassment (2,737 complaints), with women filing 60.2% of them.
– Sexual harassment was reported by 35.3% of companies (413 cases), with women accounting for 89.6%.
– Violence at work was reported by 26.3% (386 cases), with women submitting 67.9%.
Marcela Achurra emphasized the importance of reporting channels: “because they are a key tool for taking the pulse of organizational culture and evaluating whether what is declared really translates into practice… when reporting channels function efficiently and effectively, they show that it has been possible to overcome barriers to reporting.”
Claudia Bobadilla added: “from a regulatory point of view there have been very relevant advances that have strengthened ethical frameworks and compliance from corporate governance bodies… It is essential to have reporting channels that guarantee confidentiality so teams can raise situations requiring investigation… The board’s role is to ensure follow-up on these cases.”
For the first time this year’s report analyzes changes over time in business equity indicators among 67 companies reporting continuously from 2022–2024:
– Training coverage on harassment prevention rose from 30.4% to 68.1%, driven by implementation of Ley Karin.
– Workplace harassment complaints increased by about half.
– Sexual harassment complaints decreased slightly by about two percent.
María José Díaz, general manager at ChileMujeres stated: “progress in training reflects an important change in how companies address prevention… where Ley Karin has been key… The challenge ahead is ensuring these trainings lead not just to formal compliance but also real cultural change within organizations.”
On corporate governance practices:
– The report finds nearly all companies formally integrate sustainability into their business strategy.
– All identify and manage key stakeholder groups.
– Most boards conduct induction processes (85.9%) and use competency matrices (76.5%), indicating greater professionalization.
However, diversity remains limited—women hold only 18.2% of board seats.
Fadua Gajardo, executive director at IdDC commented: “the results show concrete progress in incorporating sustainability and professionalizing boards… However low female participation shows persistent gaps which must be systematically addressed if decision quality and long-term sustainability are to be strengthened.”
