The Elas Empreendedoras Project transforms the reality of women and families in the Amazon

Manaus (AM) – Glocal Amazônia was transformed, over the weekend, into a space to analyze solutions for the development of female entrepreneurship in the region. The history of the “Elas Empreendedoras” project, which has the support of Eneva, and the debate on the barriers that persist for women in business were addressed both in lectures at the Palace of Justice and at the Fundação Amazônia Sustentável (FAS) fair, in Largo de São Sebastião.

The transformative power of female entrepreneurship was addressed by Fernanda Rodrigues, specialist in ESG at Eneva, during the lecture “Women Entrepreneurs”, at the Palace of Justice, in Manaus. When talking about the “Elas Empreendedoras” project, which has the help of the company through the training of women in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability, Fernanda told the positive changes that she observed in the reality of the project members.

“These women have shown they want to go further since the beginning of the work. Given this strength, we support the group’s growth by helping to set up a regularized association, providing financial education and mapping the potential of each group. Many of the women I talked to told me that it was through this project that they discovered what they were capable of and began to undertake and have their financial independence, their homes and their freedom. By listening to them, I also realized the influence of the imposter syndrome on these women and how the program changed their thinking”,

analyzed Fernanda Rodrigues.

Of the 100 women who are part of the nuclei that make up “Elas Empreendedoras”, many lived the trap of the imposter syndrome. A problem that, according to Luciana Nogueira Minev, founder and CEO of Singulari Consultoria, should be reflected as a barrier that affects women collectively, including in business.

“It is already a pattern for women to underestimate themselves, even when they are in leadership positions. They say they are one level below what their test results show. With men, they overvalue themselves. We identify that this comes from an early age, with cultural and collective construction, through society, where girls are molded to be modest and in lowered positions. This, in the future, impacts personal and professional life”,

said Luciana.

Juliana Telles, co-founder of Impact Hub Manaus, complemented the discussion by stressing that businesses undertaken by women are generally smaller and less developed than those led by men.

“They already start with less access to investments, to resources, as if there were no women’s companies prepared to receive this support. But, there is. What we need is a favorable environment for this to happen, without gender biases and prejudices”, said Juliana.

Maria José Normando, director of Training Consultoria e Training, said that local debates are relevant gestures to overcome challenges.

“These meetings in our territory help to make women believe that they can and should stand out, that they should believe in the strength they have. And I see that companies are opening up, even if it is not at the ideal pace, but, little by little, there are leadership spaces for women to occupy”,

stated.

What could be seen in Largo de São Sebastião was the extension of the conversation held at the Palace of Justice: the craft fair of the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS) showed the work of 30 exhibitors and their products that drive the creative and green economy, such as biojewels , coffee, handicrafts, clothes, regional foods, indigenous products and souvenirs.

In the lecture on female entrepreneurship at the palace, the members wore biojewels and/or clothes produced by women who created their businesses locally, reinforcing the need to consume the production, read the works and highlight what is made or led by women. At Largo de São Sebastião, this was also seen in practice and celebrated by Marcileny Carvalho dos Santos, leader of one of the centers of Elas Empreendedoras.

“Today, thanks to what we produce through Elas Empreendedoras, I am independent, I don’t need anyone else. This project changed not only my life, but that of all the women who are part of it. Anyone who sees me today doesn’t recognize that Marcileny, who thought that life was over. Everything changed with the biojewels, with the food production we do, with the sewing courses and everything else that is offered by the project”,

told the artisan and entrepreneur.

The improvement in the quality of life also reached the rural producers of Silves, Itapiranga and region, who exhibited at the FAS fair during Glocal. Farmer Roque Pereira Lins, from Associação Solidariedade Amazonas (ASA), reaps, today, the benefits of being part of the Agroflorestais project, supported by Eneva.

“This program brought the training we needed to cultivate coffee, with courses on the best technique to have more quality production. We want to make specialty coffees and produce in small areas, in abundance, without impacting the environment, showing our differential to the consumer directly in the cup.”

*With advisory information

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