Women at the Helm: A Profile of Venezuelan
Women in Managerial Careers
By
Egberto Fernandez, Venezuela Career Advisor
In Venezuela, as well as in
other Latin American countries, the incorporation of women into the work
market is a reality. In spite of this, there are still few women in
top-level positions. Management and executive posts demand great commitment
and efficiency. In the case of women, these demands come into conflict with
their roles as mothers and wives, and with their personal priorities.
Venezuela has an active
work force of over 12 million persons, 5 million of whom are women. The gap
between the number of men and women employed has shrunk over time.
Venezuelan society, while
granting a very high value to the family institution, is open and modern,
and no discrimination is made based on race, gender or religion. This has
enabled the inclusion and acceptance of women in many fields of work which
were traditionally the exclusive domain of men. A woman has recently become
the commander of the Metropolitan Fire Department, for example. Compared to
10 or 15 years ago, women today are holding down positions of greater
responsibility at executive levels, including as company presidents and
top-level ministers.
A Professional Profile
A sample of 100 young women
in managerial positions showed the following profile;
•
85% work in the areas of finance,
marketing, administration or human resources;
•
70% work in the services, mass consumption
or banking and insurance sectors;
•
58% believe that their salary package is
equal to that of their male colleagues;
•
60% believe that there are no limits to
how high they can advance in their managerial careers;
•
89% think that their subordinates accept
them exactly as they do their male colleagues;
•
71% indicate that they are not subject to
sexual harassment.
The Cost of Success
In assuming greater career
challenges, women may neglect other important areas in their lives, such as
the family and other personal priorities. 55% of a sample of mid-level
managers answered that they feel they neglect their family lives. Many
Venezuelan executives do not manage to sustain a successful relationship or
to have a family. They also have difficulty maintaining friendships and have
little time for entertainment. These successful executives may dedicate more
than 12 hours a day to work.
Implications for Life and
Career Planning
Traditional values and
beliefs can impose serious restraints on the career decisions of many women.
When faced with the option of top-level management positions which demand a
greater time commitment, they often sacrifice their careers for family
stability. This decision has nothing to do with their levels of competence
or responsibility. 59% of the women interviewed consider themselves to be
just as competent as their male counterparts, whereas 39% state that they
are more competent than men. These responses reflect a high level of
self-assurance and a lack of disadvantages in the workplace.
This situation represents a
challenge in the process of career coaching. The coach must design
mechanisms to free the internal talent of women and open up the
possibilities of their professional and personal development. The first area
of work must be the individual's personal priorities and career and life
objectives. The coach must identify the belief system, work on restrictive
beliefs and reinforce the concepts of self-esteem and assertiveness.
Venezuelan women have many
resources to get ahead. As many households have no father figure, these
women have had to get ahead without any help. They thus perceive themselves
as having higher levels of responsibility and being better equipped to take
on major challenges. When couples emigrating abroad receive counseling, it
is the woman who is better prepared emotionally. Studies in the field of
emotional intelligence and leadership are also demonstrating that
personality traits associated with leadership, such as: networking,
cooperation, emotional control, influencing, intuition, constancy and
discipline, are more present in women than in men. Some companies understand
this and prefer women in managerial positions.
In spite of all the
difficulties, Venezuelan women in managerial positions are taking on the
commitments of their roles and demonstrating that no gender-related barriers
exist when it comes to management and leadership competencies.
"To be successful, empathy
should not be lost. As I have received plenty of great things in my life, I
feel I have the responsibility to give."
A Venezuelan woman in a top
executive position
About the Author
Egberto Fernandez is a human development specialist who has more than 20
years of experience with organizations and individuals. He combines his
private career-coaching practice with other areas of human development,
including facilitating group workshops in management, leadership, team
building, and change management. For more information, e-mail Egberto.
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