Conectadas

Mercado Libre has launched a new edition of Conectadas

The potential of technology getting closer to young women in Latin America

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Conectadas

This initiative has been implemented jointly with Chicas en Tecnología and {reprograma}.

The goal is to provide 1,400 14-18-year olds with digital tools to design social impact projects. The initiative is focused on Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. Enrollment will be open until March 27, on conectadaslatam.la

Video Conectadas 2022

Buenos Aires, March 7, 2022 - Mercado Libre has launched a new edition of Conectadas, an online and free immersive learning program bringing the technology world close to women adolescents in Latin America. Participants will be provided with tools to create innovative solutions for the problems they identify in their communities.

In 2022, Conectadas will aim to reach 1,400 individuals whose gender identity is female, offering 1,000 seats for Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, and 400 seats for Brazil. This edition will be launched in July. Digital transformation, problem resolution, user experience design, business development, and digital marketing contents will be addressed at online and free meetings covering about 30 hours. Participants will be encouraged to develop tech solutions having a social impact. During the development of this proposal, students will be accompanied by women mentors specialized in technology; will meet expert women from these specialty fields and also peers; and will participate in panels, workshops, and talks.

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“At Mercado Libre, we will continue to make unceasing efforts to narrow the gender gap in the technological industry, helping more and more women discover all the possibilities the tech world has to offer them and the planet.”

Guadalupe Marín, Sustainability Director, Mercado Libre

A community of young people who have the tools and the confidence

“At Mercado Libre, we will continue to make uncesing efforts to narrow the gender gap in the technological industry, helping more and more women discover all the possibilities the tech world has to offer them and the planet. We believe these types of programs can help transform existing paradigms, along with building up a community of young people who have the tools and the confidence that would let them create innovative solutions to rise to existing challenges across Latin America,” says Guadalupe Marín, Sustainability Director, Mercado Libre.

In the first edition, launched in 2021, the initiative reached more than 1,200 young women from 380 regional locations. As part of their learning experience, more than 200 projects were designed by teams to address specific problems in their communities, including health and wellbeing, education, abandoned pets, and sexual education. After this experience, 81% of participants said they had a clearer vision of what they wanted to do in their future in terms of work and higher education, and 91% said they were interested in knowing more about technology.

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“Experiences such as Conectadas are key to encourage young women to build their career path in STEM areas—Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics.”

Nicolas Wainer, regional leader of training and development at Chicas en Tecnología.

Encouraging young women

“In the technological field, the demand for leading roles is growing exponentially, along with the need to generate diversity in development teams to include the voices that continue to be unrepresented. Experiences such as Conectadas are key to encouraging young women to build their career path in STEM areas—Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics—, and help them position themselves as creators of projects that use technology. They can also develop the necessary skills to work in these fields,” said Nicolas Wainer, regional leader of training and development at Chicas en Tecnología.

To participate, it is not necessary to have relevant prior knowledge, but just be willing to create technology- based innovative solutions in a challenging context.

Reporte 2022

Mercado Libre presents its 2022 Impact Report

28-02-2023

We are acting today

We know the challenge is huge, but we also know that the time to act is right now.

Download Report 2023