“I am a woman from Colombia and I am passionate about uncomfortable conversations, public service, climate action, sustainable development goals, and reduction of inequalities.” This powerful statement of motivation shows a glimpse of Daniela Baena Salazar’s passion and drive for change within the most pressing societal issues.
Born and raised in Colombia, she observed the economic impacts of climate change all around her, decreasing the opportunities for employment and income for women and youth and deepening existing inequalities of labor. This led her to the realization of how important economical autonomy can be in people’s development, opening up opportunities to develop professionally and participate actively in social and political life.
“[People can] devote themselves to their loved ones without it becoming a barrier to the achievement of their own aspirations.” Salazar said. “Disadvantage in employment and social participation in Colombia creates a risk for vulnerable people, leading to a life with less capacity to cope with the effects of climate change.”
Combined with her background in environmental engineering and sustainability, this was Salazar’s reasoning for founding Wom-en in 2019, an organization dedicated to promoting gender equality, quality education, and sustainability, working to include more voices of women and youth in decision-making processes for climate change and reducing inequalities. She has led more than 6 projects allowing training for women and opening spaces for conversation with more than 2000 people throughout Colombia.
“It is imperative to increase opportunities for equal leadership at all levels of decision-making and more active participation,” Salazar said. “It is necessary to encourage projects that position women and youth as agents of change and ensure the development of knowledge to address climate change and social injustice.”
In 2023, Salazar was selected as a fellow for Yunus & Youth for her business. It was through the fellowship she realized the true meaning of social entrepreneurship, and the importance of joining a community of like-minded individuals. “It is wonderful to find spaces where they understand your frustrations and share them, but above all they support and guide you to get out of them,” Salazar said. “So far this experience has allowed me to reinvent myself in my project, to find new ways out of problems that I did not see a solution before, I can even say that I am living a change of mentality.”
However, these experiences did not come without challenges. “It can be a solitary exercise, where burnout can end up being more frequent if there are no supportive spaces,” Salazar reflected. “Frustration can limit innovation and creativity… However, the importance of mentoring is precisely in being the opportunity to get out of frustration, have guidance and thus navigate innovation and creativity.”
In addition to mentoring, Salazar emphasizes the significance of finding time for yourself to relax, as well as finding safe spaces and communities of growth that nurture creativity, motivation, and inspiration. She encourages entrepreneurs to embrace their mistakes and learn from them: “Navigate between mistakes, this will shed light on what you want and above all what you can get from the program.”
Alongside Wo-men, she continues to work against climate change, improving environmental management and disaster risk management in Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia. As Wom-en continues to thrive under her leadership, Daniela remains committed to fighting climate change and empowering women in the labor force, ensuring that their voices are heard and their potential fully realized.
