Uruguay XXI Discussed Opportunities for Women-Led Companies to Enter the European Market

How to turn opportunities for regional integration and ties with Europe into business opportunities for women-led companies was one of the key themes of the 13th Regional Meeting of the Mercosur Women’s Business Convergence (CEMM), held on October 23 at the Mercosur Building in Montevideo. The event brought together representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, as well as government officials and business organizations, to discuss trade, investment, and women’s participation in economic decision-making.

The meeting focused on the conditions women entrepreneurs need to access new markets. The institutional panel brought together the executive director of Uruguay XXI, Mariana Ferreira; the National Director of Investments at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Isabella Antonaccio; and the head of the Trade and Economy Section for Uruguay and Paraguay at the European Union Delegation, Vanessa Mock. The discussion addressed competitiveness, tools for promoting investment and exports, as well as opportunities for cooperation between the two blocs.

Information to Increase Women’s Participation
Ferreira shared data presented during the recent edition of the Uruguay XXI event, “Más Comercio Mujeres,” based on a cross-referencing of information on Uruguayan companies exporting goods and services with records from the Ministry of Labor. As she explained, out of a total of 1,045 companies, fewer than 300 had a woman in senior management positions.

“This presents us with an initial challenge: ensuring that more women reach senior management positions,” she noted. She emphasized that their participation in these roles can help other women gain access to positions of responsibility and create a virtuous cycle within organizations.

Regional Capabilities for Accessing the European Market
When discussing the European market, Ferreira highlighted both its high standards and its openness to business. “The European Union is a very demanding market. That raises the bar for any exporting company,” she said.

In this context, she highlighted the potential of regional cooperation to identify areas of complementarity and prepare companies. “I believe there is tremendous potential for collaboration between agencies in the region and among the region’s business chambers,” she stated.

He also highlighted the Mercosur-European Union Agreement Portal, developed by Uruguay XXI to facilitate access to commercial and regulatory information and identify export opportunities. Mock praised this tool, and Ferreira expressed the agency’s willingness to share its methodology with other countries.

From an economic policy perspective, Antonaccio underscored the need to improve competitiveness and address the constraints faced by women-led businesses, particularly regarding financing and commercial networks. Mock, for her part, emphasized the importance of providing tools that enable small and medium-sized enterprises to take the leap into international markets and capitalize on the agreement’s potential.

The panel’s closing remarks shifted the conversation to the results that could be achieved over the next two years. The shared vision was to build on the meeting through a regional agenda that transforms existing contacts and capabilities into business opportunities for more women-led companies.