Reshaping leadership and gender norms in Latin America

Voices of Viva is a conversation-style blog series that explores the “why” behind our mission through the voices of our team at Viva Executive Assistants. In this blog, we want to discuss a crucial topic for us at Viva: gender norms in Latin America.

Viva is on a mission to help executives maximize their impact while creating meaningful opportunities for women in Latin America. One of our core values is Use Your Voice.

By sharing our stories, we aim to raise awareness and inspire action toward gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Our first conversation is with María Luz Zevallos. María Luz has been with Viva for three years and has grown from Executive Assistant to Senior Executive Assistant to Project Manager. She supports executives at a fast-growing tech company while also coaching other EAs. She has been passionate about our mission since the recruitment process and has been a strong advocate ever since.

Adnan Khan: Welcome to Episode 1 of Voices of Viva! María Luz, you’ve always been an inspiration to me and a spark for our mission at Viva. I’m excited to have this conversation and hear more of your stories and perspectives.

María Luz Zevallos: Thank you, Adnan. That means a lot. I’m excited to be here. I was actually thinking about gender norms the other day.

Adnan: Let’s jump right in. What does gender equality mean to you?

María Luz: I think it’s about restoring balance—something that has been unjust for so long. If you think about gender norms objectively, that balance should have existed from the start. But for various reasons, it hasn’t. Now we have a chance to make it right.

Adnan: I love that. You said you were thinking about this recently. What brought it to mind?

María Luz: Honestly, I think about it all the time. Growing up, I lived only with women, so I was used to a world where gender norms didn’t exist. But then, the outside world kept telling me, “Women aren’t supposed to do this,” or “Women can’t do that.” That contrast always stayed with me. It created these two conflicting voices in my head.

Adnan: What’s your earliest memory of becoming aware of gender inequality?

María Luz: I was about eight years old. I used to live with my two aunts, and every year we’d host a workshop where we refurbished old toys for kids. One of my aunts would always tell me to save the best toys for the girls because they had it harder in life. That moment really stuck with me.

Adnan: What are some of the ways you’ve seen life being more difficult or unfair for women?

María Luz: For one, I saw that women weren’t treated with the same respect as men. I remember how the boys would be playing soccer, having fun, while the girls just sat on the sidelines. That made me wonder: Why don’t they get to have as much fun?

Even now, I try to create equality in my own life, but it’s hard. I wake up throughout the night to nurse my baby while my husband sleeps—because it doesn’t make sense for both of us to be up. So I’m often sleep-deprived. We support each other, but it’s still a challenge.

Also, impostor syndrome seems to be more common among women. Most working women I know feel like they’re not enough, at home or at work.

Adnan: What’s an example of inequality you’ve noticed in the workplace?

María Luz: I had a boss who would make disrespectful comments about women, and I didn’t know how to respond. I was younger then. He also crossed physical boundaries with some women, and while I knew it was wrong, I just couldn’t bring myself to speak up.

That experience really affected me. It threw me off mentally and made it harder to do my job well.

I’ve also noticed that most senior roles in Ecuador are held by men. Women rarely make it to CEO or executive levels. Even when efforts are made to promote gender balance, they can miss the mark. For example, in our last elections, there was a rule that presidential and vice-presidential candidates had to include both a man and a woman. But often, women were chosen more for their appearance than their qualifications, which sends the wrong message.

And during job interviews, I was frequently asked, “Are you planning to have more children?” That question always made me freeze. It’s deeply personal, and no man would ever be asked that. Many companies here prefer hiring men because they see women—especially pregnant women—as a financial burden.

Adnan: Thank you for sharing that. In the example with your previous boss, did you know clearly that what he was doing was wrong?

María Luz: Yes, I knew.

Adnan: And did you notice similar behavior toward others?

María Luz: Yes, he acted that way with all the younger women. But no one said anything. Speaking up meant being labeled as difficult or problematic.

Adnan: What makes it hard to speak up in those situations?

María Luz: You don’t want to be seen as difficult or hard to work with. And honestly, I felt like saying something wouldn’t have changed anything. It felt like a lost battle. So I didn’t try, even though I knew it was wrong.

Adnan: Let’s say this kind of thing is still happening today. What would you say to someone facing that situation now?

María Luz: If I were more mature back then, I wouldn’t have cared about being labeled difficult—I would have said something. So I’d say: speak up. Talk to someone you trust. But I know that’s easier said than done. Sometimes, the person you confide in won’t believe you or will dismiss it. Still, it’s worth trying.

I sometimes feel responsible because I know this behavior probably continues. Maybe if I had spoken up, things would be different now.

Adnan: That’s such a thoughtful reflection. But it’s also important to recognize that responsibility doesn’t just lie with women. Why don’t we focus more on teaching men how to behave?

María Luz: I completely agree. But as a martial arts instructor once told me, “It’s easier to teach women to defend themselves than it is to change men’s mindsets.”

Adnan: That’s a powerful statement. It makes sense why so many women focus on self-protection instead.

Let’s go back to that interview question: “Do you plan on having more kids?” How does that usually come up?

María Luz: It’s asked like any other question. You’re discussing the role, and then they might ask, “Are you married? Are you single? Planning to have more children?”

Adnan: Have you ever heard of anyone refusing to answer?

María Luz: No, never.

Adnan: Why do you think that is?

María Luz: Because you’re in a vulnerable position during an interview. You want the job. If I said, “I’d rather not answer that,” the interviewer might label me as difficult or not a good fit. Women are often described with negative words—fussy, emotional, demanding—instead of being recognized as leaders. We’re very aware of this narrative.

Adnan: What role should organizations play in addressing these issues?

María Luz: Organizations have the power to change things. The question is whether they have the will. If a company is led by a traditional-minded man, this just won’t be a priority for him.

Adnan: So you’re saying companies have the power, but not always the will. Do you think this would change if there were more women in leadership?

María Luz: Absolutely.

Adnan: Are we moving fast enough in that direction?

María Luz: If you look at history, women weren’t allowed to vote in many countries until the 1970s. Some didn’t even have the same legal rights as men until the ’90s. So yes, there’s been progress over the last 30 years. But no, it’s not fast enough. I talk to my son about these things—I hope he internalizes them.

Adnan: And now that you have both a son and a daughter, what’s your vision for the world they’ll grow up in?

María Luz: I want them to have the same opportunities. Now that I have a daughter, it’s even harder. I don’t want her to experience the same struggles. I hope the world is very different when they’re grown. I want them both to live freely, without inequality adding to their burdens.

Adnan: I hope so too. And more than just hope, we’ll keep working toward that future.

If there’s one gender norm you could eliminate completely, what would it be?

María Luz: Definitely violence against women.

Also, I think women are still seen as objects—and some women even internalize that view. I find it a bit crazy that beauty pageants still exist.

It’s not just men who need to change. Women do too. If we don’t change ourselves, we won’t be able to raise our children differently. It’s a shared responsibility.

Adnan: That’s such a powerful line—“If we don’t change ourselves, we won’t be able to educate others.” What gives you hope about the future?

María Luz: I do believe things have changed a lot in the last 50 years, and I think they’ll continue to improve. More women are working, which gives them more decision-making power—at home, in companies, and in government. Change is coming, even if it’s slow.

Adnan: What role do you think Viva plays in that vision?

María Luz: Viva plays a crucial role in two ways. First, by creating meaningful opportunities for women in Latin America, allowing them to support their families and gain power over their own lives.

Second, by exposing us to how gender equality works in other parts of the world. It helps us realize that what we see as “normal” might not be right, and that things can be different.

I would love to ask you a few questions as well.

Adnan: For sure.

María Luz: The first one is—in Canada, for example, what are the differences between what I’ve told you and what happens there?

Adnan: I’d say, first of all, there are labor laws in Canada that prevent interview questions like, “Do you plan on having kids?” I don’t know the exact statute, but I know that asking about marital status, family plans, or pregnancy could be viewed as discrimination. If something like that happened here, there would likely be repercussions, because people know it’s not allowed, and they know change will happen if they speak up.

At the same time, companies can still get away with things like this discreetly. And some candidates might not even apply to certain roles based on how a company presents its culture or expectations. For instance, some job descriptions include heavy travel requirements, likely to deter parents or caregivers from applying. That’s where you see invisible gender inequality. High-growth careers like consulting or investment banking often come with demanding hours and lots of travel, making it hard for people with caregiving responsibilities. So they just opt out.

It reminds me of an interview I had for an investment banking internship back in university. At the end, I asked the interviewer, “If I were to get the role, how should I start preparing?” And he said—very seriously—something like, “You should bury your personal life. If you have a girlfriend, break up with her. If you have hobbies, stop them. This role will consume you.”

I wasn’t even in a relationship at the time, but I immediately knew that wasn’t the kind of culture I wanted to be part of. No matter the growth or the pay, it didn’t align with my values.

And that got me thinking about how many people, especially parents or caregivers, self-select out of opportunities like that.

María Luz: That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought about that—how even when there’s a law, other things are still happening in the background.

Adnan: Exactly. As someone who interviews people, I’m very aware of this. We never ask about family or family plans in interviews. But if someone voluntarily shares something, like mentioning they have a kid, I’ll engage warmly and supportively—maybe ask their kid’s name, and let them know we have other team members who are also parents.

María Luz: That was actually what made me want to join Viva. When you said that during our interview, I thought, “Wow. This is the place for me.” That moment really stuck with me.

Adnan: I’m so glad to hear that.

And honestly, if you looked at Viva at the time, it was two men without kids leading the company. From the outside, someone could’ve easily assumed it wouldn’t be a good workplace for moms. So I’m really grateful that people like you took a chance on us.

We had one mom joining the team, then another one joined, and she spoke to the first mom we hired to understand the culture. It happened again and again, and it created this beautiful chain of trust.

María Luz: Second question—if you could change one thing in the world for women, what would it be?

Adnan: For me, it starts with education. Girls’ education should be a fundamental right. And not just access to education, but access to work afterwards. In many low- to middle-income countries, girls are now going to university, but then they don’t enter the workforce because of household responsibilities or gender norms.

I understand where some parents are coming from when they deprioritize girls’ education. They think, “We’ll invest all this time and money, but our daughter won’t have real opportunities—or she’ll have to stop working once she has kids anyway.” But that mindset is what we need to change.

María Luz: And last question, companies often say they don’t hire women because of the “cost” of maternity leave. They have to pay part of the salary and also hire a temporary replacement. How do you approach that at Viva?

Adnan: Great question. I’d break it down into two parts.

First, many companies see maternity leave as a cost—they’re paying someone who’s not working, and they feel like they need to hire a temporary replacement they don’t truly need.

But I see it as an investment. Caring for a child isn’t a career break, it’s an accelerated leadership program. The learning, the growth, the pressure—those experiences make people stronger when they return.

Second, at Viva, parental leave has often led to growth, not just coverage. We’ve had multiple team members go on leave, and in many cases, both the person on leave and their backfill ended up staying on long-term. The customer wanted both. That’s real growth.

Of course, that’s not always the outcome. But the point is—great talent brings long-term value, and that doesn’t change just because someone takes leave.

And honestly, life happens to all of us. If we want people to be their best at work, we need to support them when they need it most. That’s what makes a company strong—not trying to avoid anyone who might go on leave.

María Luz: That’s such a powerful mindset shift. How do you think this perspective could reach more leaders around the world?

Adnan: I should write a LinkedIn post about this. If even one hiring manager reads it and hires someone they might’ve dismissed before, that’s a win.

I remember a real example. We had a candidate who voluntarily told us she was pregnant—she didn’t have to, but she did. We asked ourselves: “What do we do with this information?” And the answer was, nothing changes. We evaluate her the same way as anyone else.

There’s no separate interview scorecard for pregnancy. Is this a strong candidate? Yes or no.

And if we do hire her, and five months later she needs to take leave? That’s fine. We plan for it. We hire a backfill. If that’s something our business can’t handle, then we don’t have a sustainable business model.

And if a customer doesn’t want to work with someone because they’re going on leave? Then that’s not the right customer for us. We’ve even had a case like that, and the customer still chose to continue. That showed us we’re not alone in thinking this way.

María Luz: I love that.

Adnan: This was a great conversation! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Very insightful as always.

María Luz: Thank you so much, Adnan.

Adnan Khan

Adnan is a Co-founder & co-CEO at Viva, where he oversees the People and Customer Success functions. Prior to Viva, Adnan was at Deloitte Consulting, where he was exposed to many key ingredients for his Viva journey, including executive assistants, Latin American talent, and remote work. Health and family are Adnan’s two biggest priorities outside of his career. He enjoys playing squash, running long distances, and cooking. Quality time is his love language and he likes to spend his time with his wife and son. Adnan writes frequently about leadership, delegation, and executive assistants on the Viva blog.