WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE
Women have been an indispensable demographic of PALIG’s workforce since its inception. Employee magazines, like the covers of palican shown above right, highlight women’s multiple roles in the company, from secretaries to programmers and managers. Despite largely promoting traditional gender roles well into the 20th century, the company has historically offered opportunities for women to take on leadership roles. B.B MacFarlane (below), a founding secretary in 1911, rose to agents’ supervisor by 1918—two years before women had earned the right to vote.
Portrait of B.B. McFarlane. Pan-American Life Insurance Collection, The Latin American Library.
Another prominent woman in the history of PALIG is Juanita F. Martínez (below); you can learn more about her in the Latin American Workforce section.
Portrait of Juanita F. Martínez, Pan-American Insurance Company Collection, The Latin American Library.