SANTO DOMINGO.– The new president of the Association of Professional Women Micro, Small and Medium Business Owners in the Construction Sector (Mupymecon), Joselin Rodríguez, stated that women have the necessary preparation and capabilities to participate in infrastructure projects and state works, but face low participation in public bidding processes.
Rodríguez made the proposal during the swearing-in ceremony of the new Mupymecon board for the 2026-2028 term, held at the College of Notaries, where he also presented part of the agenda he will promote during his term.
The leader pointed out that, despite the progress made in incorporating women into the construction sector, companies led by professionals and entrepreneurs still have a reduced participation in the supply and demand processes of public works.
“We have had very low participation in the bidding and tendering processes for construction projects. And in the area of tenders, we are practically at 1% compared to the large companies,” Rodríguez explained.
The president of Mupymecon considered that expanding the participation of women-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can contribute to diversifying the business offering and taking advantage of greater technical capacity within the construction sector.
Professionals prepared to take on projects
Rodríguez highlighted that the members of the association have specialized training and experience to participate both in the execution of works and in advisory and supervision work on projects.
“Our technicians have master's degrees, postgraduate degrees, and doctorates. In other words, it's a force that's there, silent, but ready to support the construction sector,” he said.
She added that these professionals can contribute not only to construction processes, but also in areas of consulting and technical advice.
“If we are given the opportunity, we can do the job and we are ready and prepared to do it,” she said.
Mupymecon will create a purchasing and contracting observatory
As part of the new administration, Rodríguez announced the creation of a small observatory that will monitor public procurement and contracting processes related to the sector.
The initiative includes monitoring the distribution of contracts, reviewing the terms and conditions published by the institutions, and supporting businesswomen interested in participating in tenders.
The objective will also be to guide those female entrepreneurs who are not yet registered under the category of Women-Owned MSMEs, as well as those who need training to handle public procurement and contracting procedures.
“We are now going to propose a monitoring system and create a small observatory to track the distribution of purchases and contracts, and verify the bidding documents in each institution, review them, and support our members,” Rodríguez explained.
Competence based on professional capabilities
The outgoing president of Mupymecon, Erminda Decena, acknowledged that differences between men and women persist within the construction industry, a sector that has historically had a greater male presence.
However, she argued that the incorporation of women should be approached from the perspective of professional preparation and the search for opportunities, rather than from a confrontation between genders.
Decena also pointed out that the association has received significant contributions from men linked to the sector, so she considered it necessary to demonstrate women's professional skills in order to gain more ground.
“It’s not a hand-to-hand or titanic struggle. It’s a search for space, and we are prepared for that competition; that’s what it’s about, competing based on the knowledge we have,” she stated.
An agenda with an impact on construction and infrastructure
The new Mupymecon board took office for the 2026-2028 period with the challenge of strengthening the participation of women entrepreneurs in the construction market, especially in projects financed through public resources.
For Rodríguez, facilitating access to bidding processes, improving technical support, and monitoring contracting opportunities are necessary steps to ensure that micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises led by women have a greater presence in the execution of works.
The association is thus committed to transforming the professional training of its members into greater effective participation within the construction industry and, by extension, in infrastructure projects that impact the country's real estate development.
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