Honduran women from the EMPRO scholarship finish their first module Al Banco

March 15, 2023. Increase the access of SMEs led by women, through the development of skills and knowledge about how banks and other financial and non-financial entities operate and also about the existence of new channels to obtain capital, such as Fintech and Crowdfunding was the objective of the first module of the Pilar Al Banco of EMPRO Honduras.

Through conferences with experts on these topics, forty Honduran businesswomen received knowledge about financial entities, what their business is, what financial intermediation is about, and their vision of risk, particularly that led by women. As well as other basic financial concepts.

They were also able to learn in greater detail about the main financial indicators and qualitative aspects that a bank analyzes to grant a loan, as well as details of the structure and entities that make up the financial sector in Honduras, who is the supervisory entity in the country and what requires supervised institutions, and why?

These talks were led by Roxana Víquez, expert consultant on sustainability and corporate social responsibility issues, Marcela Herrera, head of the Department of Market Discipline, Transparency and Financial Education of the National Banking and Insurance Commission (CNBS), Fernando E. Hernández Casco, Head of Technological Risk in a regional Financial Group and Gabriela Barzuna, Credit Manager of Promerica, Costa Rica and Mariangeles Camargo, an expert financial consultant with extensive experience advising on sustainable finance for Latin America. Al Banco has two tutors who guide the businesswomen during its execution: Ary Ávila, a Honduran, and Federico Larroca, an Argentine, both with extensive banking and teaching experience.

The main objective of Al Banco's training Pillar is to increase the knowledge and interest of women entrepreneurs who lead SMEs regarding the advantages of accessing financing and the objective of these sessions is to help reduce one of the main barriers to access to financing that is the lack of information and the limited knowledge of businesswomen about how the bank operates and how it perceives the ventures led by women, among other issues.

EMPRO started with its first module in October 2022, where the participants had the opportunity to take some pre-selected courses from the LEADS Mujer online program and their respective Innovation and Finance Bootcamps, as well as courses to obtain key skills and knowledge. to strengthen their businesses, expand distribution channels and open new markets.

EMPRO was developed by INCAE Business School under the Women's Business Growth initiative and has the financial support and accompaniment of Fundación PriceSmart and Cargill. Its objective is to strengthen the business knowledge of women, through a series of trainings that will contribute to the transformation and scaling of their businesses, promoting access to new markets and financing. It also has the support of national allies and Mastercard, an entity with which INCAE has joined efforts to design various training products for women in the Latin American region.

For more information you can contact Mauren Esquivel at the mail mauren.esquivel@incae.edu or with Gracia María Barahona, Manager of the EMPRO Honduras Program by email grace.barahona@clacds.incae.edu.