APEC Reinforces Gender Focus to Economic Growth

APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy was held on September 15-18, 2015 in Manila, the Philippines.
The APEC WE 2015 Fora also tackled three sub-themes: Women and Inclusive Business, which highlighted how women from the base-of-the-pyramid are empowered as producers, suppliers, distributors, workers, and/or consumers; Women in the International Markets and Global Value Chains, which discussed how women leaders use innovation as a means to breaking barriers and effectively competing in global value chains and regional economies; Women and Sustainable Development, which highlighted success stories and case studies on women’s resilience, including health and wellness linked to productivity, family management and human capital development, and disaster preparedness and business continuity planning in the context of the changing climate and environment.
The participants affirmed women as prime movers for inclusive growth and committed to work towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women.
The meetings concluded with a statement adoption in which the participants encouraged APEC economies to take concrete steps towards addressing gender disparities in women’s labor force participation, in particular by establishing and pursuing measurable and aspirational voluntary goals, including women’s representation in leadership and decision-making roles.
We recognize the updated Guide on Gender Criteria and the APEC Women and the Economy Dashboard as useful tools to ensure mainstreaming of gender perspectives across APEC.
Next Women and the Economy Fora and other related activities will be held in Peru in 2016.
Press-release at the official APEC web-site