Note: The publication dedicated its "Women" section to the Junior Achievement Americas program, featuring insights from Noël Zemborain (president of Junior Achievement Americas) and Randall Pacheco (executive director of Junior Achievement Costa Rica) on women's talent, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
On July 16, Forbes Central America published the article “Investing in Women: Companies’ Commitment to Technological Competitiveness,” a report that analyzes how training female talent has become a strategic response to the shortage of digital professionals in the region, and that highlights She is Digital as one of the models that is yielding concrete results.
The report makes a compelling opening point: 63% of Central American employers identify the lack of digital talent as a barrier to their growth. In this context, the publication highlights the work of She is Digital, a program launched by Junior Achievement Americas in collaboration with IDB Lab and Kyndryl—its largest investor and current strategic partner—aimed at preparing young women to enter the technology sector.
Results that go beyond the participants
In an interview with Forbes Central America, Randall Pacheco Vásquez, director of Junior Achievement Costa Rica, reviewed the program’s main results and key insights from its most recent impact study, “Women in Technology: Findings from Junior Achievement’s Employability Programsin Latin America”: more than 5,200 female graduates in the region, an increase in income of over 33%, a 19-percentage-point increase in formal employment, and 62% of female graduates working in technology roles.
The report highlights that training women in technology-related skills has a twofold impact: increased productivity for companies and greater stability for families, especially in the case of female heads of household, who account for 26% of the program’s participants.
Conclusion of the report
The report’s conclusion aligns with the evidence supporting the program: closing the gender gap in technology is not only a matter of equity, but also a strategy for regional competitiveness. As Zemborain pointed out to Forbes Central America, when women gain access to training and employment in technology, the impact extends beyond the participants themselves: it strengthens the economy and transforms entire communities.
Read the full article in Forbes Central America: Investing in Women: Companies' Commitment to Technological Competitiveness
She's Digital
She is Digital It is a regional technical training and employability program launched by Junior Achievement Americas and co-designed with IDB Lab. Aimed at young women ages 18 to 29, it combines technical training in cybersecurity, web development, and cloud computing; industry-recognized international certifications; and a model that provides support in finding employment. Since its launch, it has reached more than 9,700 women in Latin America, with more than 1,700 having entered the workforce.
For more information: jamujerdigital.org
Junior Achievement Americas
As one of the world’s largest NGOs serving youth, Junior Achievement Americas prepares young people for employment and entrepreneurship through hands-on learning experiences in financial literacy, job readiness, and entrepreneurship. With a presence in 26 member countries across the region, it delivered more than 3.2 million learning experiences in the last fiscal year, with the support of more than 22,700 volunteers and 1,700 local and regional partners. JA Worldwide was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for the fourth consecutive year.
For more information: jaamericas.org