"There are more women in leadership positions at CADE,” said president of CADE

On 28 September, a discussion about gender inclusive competition marked the Latin American and Caribbean Competition Forum (LACCF) held in Quito, Ecuador. Alexandre Cordeiro, president of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), contributed to the discussions and showed the progress of the Brazilian competition authority on the subject. The competition authority of Ecuador promoted the event in partnership with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).  

"Antitrust policies and gender inclusion are two agendas with a great potential of moving forward together. I can state that those words are not only from my personal view but also as the president of CADE, a competition authority whose workforce has gender equality. Traditionally, women have had strategic roles in our organization—and they still do,” said Alexandre Cordeiro.

According to the president, even though there is no specific programme for issues related to gender parity at CADE, this is not only a reality but also a historical aspect of the Brazilian institution. Furthermore, the topics included in this agenda are the subject of discussions and initiatives promoted by the agency.   

Currently, women represent 45% of the workforce at CADE and 51% of the leadership positions are theirs. At CADE, among the 4 positions of trust of assistant superintendent and attorney general, among others, 3 are held by women. On the other hand, among the 28 positions of trust of chief auditor and head of unit, among others, 15 are held by women. Regarding the 23 positions of trust of coordinator and internal affairs officer, 8 are held by women.  As for the 10 positions of trust of head of department, 7 are held by women. Finally, of the 46 positions of trust of head of service, 24 are held by women.

Evidence shows the female presence in positions of trust, which are essential for the conduct of competition policies and the operation of the organisation. "In addition to key positions, CADE has gender parity in commissioned positions. Advisors and analysts of CADE are roughly divided in the same proportion, from a gender perspective," he reinforced. 

Regarding the strategic positions of CADE, the agency has a growing record of women in relevant positions, exercising terms of office in the Tribunal, the Office of the Superintendent General, the Department of Economic Studies, and the Office of the Attorney General at CADE. During the event, the president of CADE also named another woman that is to occupy a relevant position in the structure of the competition authority: the economist Lílian Marques. The current Head of the Technical Advisory Unit to the Office of the President of CADE is to become the new Chief Economist of CADE. 

The gender analysis has played a central role in the construction of more efficient competition policies. This subject has been increasingly emphasised in Brazil and abroad, and CADE has walked hand in hand with this movement. President Cordeiro said, "This is a very current subject, not only for the antitrust agenda but also for all the spheres that are relevant to the debate".

In addition, Ori Schwartz, Head of the Competition Division of OECD, and Andrea Marván, president of COFECE participated in the panel "Gender Inclusive Competition Toolkit".