Women are the backbone of Colombia’s flower industry — making up about 60% of the workforce, three times the national agricultural average. To support them, farms and associations like Asocolflores have launched initiatives that range from on-site medical screenings to leadership schools designed to prepare women for supervisory roles.
“Women have played a significant role in Colombian floriculture since the very beginning, but the trend became especially clear in the 1980s,” says Juan Sebastián Moncada of Asocolflores in the September/October issue of Floral Management. “From that point on, we’ve worked to strengthen our efforts to ensure fair and safe working conditions for women.”
As Proflora opens this week in Bogotá, Colombia, Floral Management’s Up The Supply Chain column looks at how farms there are addressing gender equity, work-life balance, and family wellbeing. Read more about how these efforts are strengthening the workforce in “A Culture of Care” in the September/October issue of Floral Management.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the senior director of content and communications for the Society of American Florists.
