Mariana Franco

Paraguayan. She holds a background in sociology and social anthropology. Her work focuses on the management and coordination of community development projects and social programs, and she also serves as a researcher and consultant in sociocultural, gender, and intercultural studies. She is a member of the Council of the Colectivo de Mujeres del Chaco Americano, which brings together more than 300 grassroots women-led organizations across Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

She is the Executive Secretary of Redes Chaco, Country Manager of the Nanum Mujeres Conectadas initiative, and co-founder of Grupo Sunu de Acción Intercultural. As a strategic multi-actor connector, she works alongside an ecosystem of organizations to advance community-centered connectivity through collaborative models, bringing digital innovation to more than 140 rural and Indigenous territories in the Gran Chaco Americano. By bridging ancestral knowledge and technology, she fosters multisectoral partnerships that strengthen women’s leadership as key drivers of digital transformation and regional resilience in this strategic South American biome.