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APEC vows to improve women's economic empowerment
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IANS | 25 Sep, 2021
Ministers and officials in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
region have renewed their commitment towards gender equality and women's
economic empowerment in creating conditions that will drive inclusive,
effective and enduring economic growth after the Covid-19 pandemic
subsides.
Addressing the significant and disproportionate impact
of the pandemic on women and girls, ministers, officials and business
leaders pledged to implement policies that will improve women's access
to capital and markets, strengthen women's labour force participation,
increase access to leadership positions and support women's education,
training and skills development, Xinhua news agency reported.
Leading
the discussion at the 2021 APEC Women and the Economy Forum, which was
held virtually on Friday night, New Zealand Minister for Women Jan
Tinetti called attention to how the pandemic has driven many women out
of the workforce and negatively affected their well-being.
"We
know that much of the essential work has been carried out by women, and
that they have been crucial to our Covid response as scientists,
healthcare professionals, educators and other essential workers,"
Tinetti said.
"We also know that women often carry out significant unpaid care responsibilities."
According
to the updated APEC Women and the Economy Dashboard, the shift to
digital technologies during the pandemic has increased the burden of
employed women who are working from home to shoulder the bulk of
domestic tasks and care work.
Tinetti urged member economies to
join together and take bold, collective actions to minimize the risk of
Covid-19, which has set back years of hard-won progress.
"The
current challenges present officials with a great opportunity to reset,
change the status quo and enable women and girls to fulfil their
potential, for the benefit of all," added Tinetti, who chaired the forum
on Friday.
"We know our economies stand to gain substantially
from achieving our goals for women and girls, including by creating the
conditions for greater productivity, prosperity, innovation and improved
quality of life."
Member economies have agreed to carry out
policies that enable and promote women's participation in the formal
economy by addressing gender-based pay gaps and occupational segregation
as well as tackling discriminatory legal and regulatory barriers for
women entrepreneurs and women-led small businesses.
Ministers
also pledged to promote work-life balance and equal sharing of unpaid
domestic work and care by exploring measures that expand affordable and
accessible child and elder care facilities and access to social
protection systems.
"The decisions and responses that we make
now can lay the foundation for a stronger future for women and girls,
and a more resilient, inclusive economy," Tinetti noted.
She
highlighted that while achieving equality is no easy task,
gender-responsive policies and approaches are critical for effective,
inclusive and sustainable growth, especially in the wake of the
pandemic.
"Together, we can seize the opportunity before us to
address long-standing structural barriers to women's full and meaningful
participation in the economy," the Minister concluded.
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Customs Exchange Rates |
Currency |
Import |
Export |
US Dollar
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66.20
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64.50 |
UK Pound
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87.50
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84.65 |
Euro
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78.25
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75.65 |
Japanese
Yen |
58.85 |
56.85 |
As on 13 Aug, 2022 |
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