Why Investing in Women Is Key to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Credit: iFarmerBy Kaveh ZahediBANGKOK, Thailand, Jun 1 2021 (IPS) Last year, the Asia-Pacific region recorded its worst economic performance in decades. With the pandemic far from over, the region’s recovery is slow, fragile and highly uneven both across and within countries. As the region struggles to recover, how can countries rebuild their economies and revive their development? The answer can be found in the flea market of Suva, the Facebook commerce online stores of Bangladesh, and the digital learning centers across Viet Nam. In these and so many other spots across the Asia-Pacific region, it is clear that women entrepreneurs are a driving force of recovery and the mainspring of commerce and technology. While we have always known that women entrepreneurs play an essential role in supporting inclusive economic growth in the region, the pandemic has made it more evident than ever that countries ignore women’s role as job creators, employees and contributors to economic expansion at their peril. Advancing women’s equality in the Asia-Pacific region could add as much as US$ 4.5 trillion – a 12 per cent increase – to the region’s GDP annually by 2025. With the economic slump that countries now face, none can afford to continue to miss out on this largely untapped dividend. That is why ESCAP – in collaboration with the Government of Canada – initiated the Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship (CWE) programme. The programme addresses three fun...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Asia-Pacific Climate Change Development & Aid Economy & Trade Education Financial Crisis Gender Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies Labour Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Women & Economy Source Type: news