Michelle Muhringer Shayer is a lawyer specialized in corporate sustainability management with an MBA in environmental management from the University of Sao Paulo. She works as a senior environmental and social specialist in the Social, Environment and Corporate Governance (ESG) Division at IDB Invest. Michelle currently coordinates the gender risk assessment process at IDB Invest. She has also worked in sustainable development in the private sector (mining, infrastructure, industrial, financial institutions, consultancies) and in non-profit organizations, and has more than 15 years of experience in assessing social impacts.
While International Women’s Day allowed for reflection on progress towards gender equality, it is also an opportunity to discuss the alarming rates of gender-based violence in Latin America and the Caribbean, aggravated by the pandemic. The private sector has an important role in evaluating and addressing risks of gender-based violence, which is paramount to achieving equality.
The development finance community is making efforts to move forward on promoting gender equality. Re-framing gender as a risk before suggesting inclusion programs can allow companies to identify tangible ways to support risk management and long-term sustainability.