The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) debates at United Nations Headquarters how to end legal and social discrimination against women.
Despite progress, no country has managed to close the legal gaps between men and women. Discriminatory laws and social norms still persist, hindering women’s progress and affecting critical issues such as access to property, labor market conditions, or starting a business. This is pointed out by UN Women, which asserts that “invisible barriers” will hinder economic equality for 286 years. Currently, only 4% of women worldwide live in economies that offer near-full legal equality, according to the World Bank.
BBVAMF event at United Nations: “Breaking Biases, Building Equality”. #CSW70. 13th March.EFE/Mariana Orban.
This is the main theme of this year’s 70th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. More than 8,000 people from government officials to civil society advocates are meeting to assess the global gender agenda.
Many of these “invisible barriers” faced by women begin at home. In Latin America, for example, they often must seek approval from their husbands or male relatives to make significant financial decisions. In fact, they remain 8.3% behind in bank account ownership (73% compared to 81% for men, according to the Global Findex 2025). This occurs despite the fact that, according to ECLAC’s Gender Equality Observatory, 25% of women in Latin America have no income of their own, a figure that contrasts drastically with the 10% recorded for men.
Taking this into account, innovative solutions in financial inclusion are a key tool. According to Javier Flores Moreno, CEO of the BBVA Microfinance Foundation (BBVAMF), these social restrictions can be overcome, “In the Dominican Republic, we grant credit to rural women without requiring land titles (which are often under men’s names) and as the IDB points out, we are the only institution that approves larger amounts for women on equal financial terms. In Peru, we have a digital financing that does not require the husband’s signature,” he stated during an event organized by BBVAMF at the UN Headquarters in New York City during the CSW70.
BBVAMF event at United Nations: “Breaking Biases, Building Equality”. #CSW70. 13th March.EFE/Mariana Orban.
For Michelle Muschett, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP, “In a context of compounding vulnerabilities and rising uncertainty, gender equality requires far more than goodwill. It demands consensus and robust institutions capable of dismantling the biases that stifle freedom paving the way for a future of resilience, agency, and prosperity for all.”
BBVAMF supports more than 1.8 million low-income female entrepreneurs in five Latin American countries. Their performance data debunks prejudices regarding female financial risk: 7 out of 10 people who escape poverty are women, and although they request smaller loan amounts, their businesses grow at the same rate as those of men.
An example is Dominican entrepreneur Elsa Gómez, who runs a demolition business and the sale of recycled construction materials. She shared at the CSW70 that it is still seen as “strange” for a woman to work in this field. Banco Adopem, part of the BBVAMF Group, provides her with funding and financial education to manage her resources. “What’s most important for me as a woman is to work and fight every day to move forward,” Elsa said. Thanks to her business, she has paid for her university degree, her mother’s house, and her children’s education. Like Elsa, 86% of women in Latin America choose to be their own boss out of necessity, according to the GEM 2024/2025 Women’s Entrepreneurship Report.
BBVAMF event at United Nations: “Breaking Biases, Building Equality”. #CSW70. 13th March.EFE/Mariana Orban.
In Spain, women also turn to entrepreneurship more out of necessity: 62% compared to 53% of men, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). Spanish women start with fewer resources but generate 10% more income than men. Another belief that perpetuates bias and represents a clear obstacle to achieving equality is that 52% of young men believe that gender equality results in discrimination against them.
The Digital Divide: The New Barrier
In the digital realm, biases also associate technology with men, stifling the participation and growth of female entrepreneurs. According to ECLAC, 40% of women in Latin America cannot access the internet due to a lack of resources or connectivity. Initiatives such as the Digital Entrepreneurial Community in the Dominican Republic, promoted by BBVAMF and the Inter-American Development Bank, have trained more than 5,600 women in digital skills and leadership, while facilitating access to smartphones and data plans.
Meanwhile, in Spain, female entrepreneurs have higher expectations for digitizing their businesses and using online distribution systems: 29% compared to 25% of men.
Tearing down discriminatory social norms and gender biases, while accelerating parity measures, is not only a moral imperative but also a stabilizing piece for economies and a driver of development that could grow Global GDP by more than 20%.
