Female managers in the cooperative sector: breaking new ground in traditionally male sectors on Costa Rican western region

Abstract

Introduction: This article derives from research on psychosocial risk factors associated with women's work in cooperatives in the Costa Rican Western Region. It should be noted that cooperativism in this area is of long standing and has a marked male tradition.

Objective: Therefore, this paper analyzes some elements related to work and gender in six cooperatives with female managers in the western region of Costa Rica.

Method: The methodology of the study is qualitative with the application of semi-structured interviews that inquire about the experience of women managers in cooperatives. The information is examined using Critical Discourse Analysis. The types of cooperatives involved, although diverse, have in common that, until before the current management structure, leadership and administration were in the hands of men. The chronological framework of the investigation was developed between August 2019 and March 2020.

Results: Among the main findings, the reasons why they were selected as managers in times of crisis stand out, in addition to the different types of violence involved in leading sectors with masculinized structures. It is also relevant that the participants have generated strategies of resistance to such violence, through which they try to transform the working conditions of women in this sector.

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