Women entrepreneurs, as of 2018, face discrimination in Puerto Rico.
"It's not a myth, it's a fact," shared Amarilis Ramos, a psychologist and member of the Board of Directors of the United Center for Retailers (CUD in Spanish). Ramos majored in Clinical Psychology and graduated in 2011 from Carlos Albizu University. A year later, she founded Grupo S.E.P.I., or the Specialized in Psychology Services Group in English. Having divorced her husband a short time before opening her office, Ramos talked about how she started out from absolutely nothing. "My husband was the main provider of my home. My children had to eat at my parents' house because all I had was my studies and an unpaid internship."
But that didn't stop Amarilis. Not even the discrimination she sometimes faces as an entrepreneur. The mental health expert explained that there are a lot of women in her field, but the fact does not minimize the high incidence of discrimination.
Ramos explained that when dealing with male colleagues, many would refer to her as "babe: as if they wanted to win me over and rescue me, as if I were fragile; or they would speak to me in a low tone and slow manner as if I had a low IQ and could not grasp what they were saying. As if I were stupid and unable to understand what they are telling me."
Eileen Soler, Women for Business Center’s (or Centro Empresarial para la Mujer in Spanish) Program Coordinator, confirmed Ramos's expressions. The Center seeks to provide entrepreneurial training and professional counseling for aspiring female entrepreneurs, the Know Your Rights as a Woman workshop being a prime example.
Soler, in addition to sharing information about the organization's work, said she frequently encounters businesswomen who are victims of discrimination. "When [the women] ask for quotes, particularly if they work in male-dominated areas like the agricultural or construction world, those who make the quotes (often men) most of the time don't want to deal with a woman."
She also mentioned as an example Ivelisse Sosa, owner of a [Puertorican food restaurant] in Aguadilla. Sosa, who regularly deals with suppliers, shared how they would often ask to do business with her husband thinking he is the owner when she in fact was the sole owner.
On the other hand, in contrast to the aforementioned examples, Yaritza RodrÃguez (owner of Mercado La Carreta, a restaurant in Old San Juan) says she hasn't been a victim of discrimination. "If they've discriminated against me, I haven't even noticed." However, although Rodriguez is the owner of the restaurant, she shares that “all of my partners are men. I'm the only woman."
She explained that she works hand-in-hand with her brother 'Manny' Rodriguez, and that they started out as partners renting out apartments in Old San Juan on Air BNB.
Eventually her brother went to study abroad in Spain, and when Yaritza went to visit, they both came to a realization: in Puerto Rico there are no restaurants with a similar concept to those in the European country: a restaurant and market, all in one.
"There was a need, businesswise, in Old San Juan other than a regular supermarket... Selling freshly baked bread, fresh fruits and vegetables...", Yaritza detailed. Not only does Mercado La Carreta sell fresh everything, it acquires most of the products are from local agriculturalists. "Our natural juices, the food we serve at lunch, the eggs we cook for breakfast... Almost everything is from local farmers."
Photos by Laura Ramos
The situation in Puerto Rico is complicated for women entrepreneurs, and both Amarilis and Yaritza emphasized that. By 2015, according to the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, only 42 percent of the country's workforce is made up of women. However, as a study titled Profile of the micro-enterprise in Puerto Rico (2015) pointed out, the percentage of women entrepreneurs is increasing.
According to the last census (2010), "there are 38,000 female entrepreneurs, or self-employed women. This represents 22% of all people who work this way." Out of that percentage, the vast majority are the sole owners of their business like Amarilis, Yaritza and Ivelisse.
When asked if they would do it all over again and if they would recommend setting up their own businesses to other women, both Yaritza and Amarilis did not hesitate. They said yes. Amarilis would say [to those who dare not set up his business] "to dare to create a company that represents something they are passionate about... Everything has to be done with love and commitment in order to succeed, and without money as a goal. Instead of excuses, find reasons."
Yaritza agreed with her, all the while emphasizing the importance of teamwork. "The process is steep and full of sacrifices, but it's worth it. And ask for help... I wouldn't have been able to set up my business without my team."