Puerto San Antonio highlighted the need to advance female leadership in the port industry. This was in the framework of a day dedicated to promoting diversity and equity, in which the Integrated Foreign Trade System (Sicex) of the Ministry of Finance organized the launch of the second edition of the magazine Mujeres de Logística.
The meeting became a collaborative space to strengthen the presence of women in leadership roles and make their contribution to the logistics chain visible. The event was chaired by the Undersecretary of Finance, Heidi Berner, who emphasized that to promote the modernization of the export sector “diversity, innovation and collaboration are required; and, of course, female talent.”
The event included the development of the panel “Female Leadership in Logistics and Foreign Trade: Perspectives from the Public, Private and Academic Sectors,” moderated by Mabel Leva, director of Conecta Logística, and which included Bárbara Matamala, director of Sicex; Pía Herrera, Regional Sales Manager of DHL Express; Consuelo Cánaves, Management and Development Manager of Puerto San Antonio; Marcela González, dean of the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad de Talca; and Camila Zarzar, director of Mujeres & Industria of Logística Group.
The day featured technical presentations by Mónica Nadal, a systems engineer and consultant specialist in growth and sustainable development, on the incorporation of women in logistics operations, and Paula Vidal, director of Strategic Talent Management and High-Impact Culture, who presented on the advances and opportunities for female talent in the sector.
In addition, recognitions were given to women who have set milestones through their work in an industry that still maintains low numbers in terms of participation in leadership positions.
For Camila Zarzar, the value of the publication is as a tool for action. “Those who hold leadership positions must be generous enough, and I believe that is precisely the fundamental value of this magazine,” she stated, underlining that “promoting female leadership is a key task and we must continue opening spaces,” she noted.
In addition, recognitions were given to women who have set milestones through their work in an industry that still maintains low numbers in terms of participation in leadership positions.
The industry’s experience
Regarding the panel, Mabel Leva described the meeting as “very entertaining, very motivating and with a lot of inspiration,” highlighting that the panelists shared their experiences on how to reconcile family life with work and the keys for more women to join “this sector which is tremendously exciting.”
From the port world, Consuelo Cánaves, provided concrete figures on the existing gap. “Today we have 12% women in the ports. It is a very masculinized industry,” she explained.
Although in the logistics chain of the Port of San Antonio female employment reaches 25%, at the national level it does not exceed 20%. For the executive, these spaces allow us to “make ourselves visible and realize that there is a gap to address.” For this reason, Cánaves stressed that “you have to prepare very well because today what is needed are prepared, empowered women who are clear about what they want to do with their lives.”
Camila Zarzar called for action from the training stage. “It is essential to have an education plan from school age and encourage women not to have limits,” she commented. In addition, she urged women to be “self-managed” and not wait for others to provide them with opportunities, but to “be responsible for their own development and growth.”
In this way, the event reaffirmed the collective commitment to building a more inclusive, diverse and competitive logistics industry.
