Women leaders from ten employers release joint declaration on International Women's Day

Female executives from companies across the globe sign a joint statement committing to increase efforts to promoting women in business.

We, the signatories of the Business 20 One Global Women Empowerment (OGWE) initiative, commit to strengthening the agenda to progress and advance women in business by:

1) amplifying the voice of women in business in various forums and sharing best practices in our capacity at the national levels in the following areas: 

• Empowering women entrepreneurs by developing an ecosystem that provides access to financial, legal, and technical assistance.
• Increasing women's digital skills and leadership.
• Promoting a just and safe environment for women workers in the informal economy, including in rural areas.

2) actively participating in various activities of OGWE and helping shape and influence enabling policies at the international level to help women in business to grow, thrive and innovate

3) engaging our workforce and promoting ways to advance women in their careers by offering networking and economic opportunities 

4) offering ideas, support and guidance to the International Organisation of Employers as Secretariat of OGWE

As highlighted in the 2022 IOE-Deloitte G20 Monitoring Report, we, the signatories of OGWE:

• Recognise the various challenges and barriers faced by women in business, as highlighted in the First Conference of OGWE on 30 January 2023, such difficulties in accessing:
  • Finance and venture capital
  • Education and skills development (mentorship, apprenticeship)
  • Financial services
  • Information on available support, incentives 
  • Women-led development programmes, diversity and inclusion programmes
  • International and regional markets through trade policy levers

• Understand that there are various policy recommendations and best practices which can help create an enabling environment for women in business, as outlined in the Monitoring Report:
  • Comprehensive measures 
    • Education, skills, training
    • Inculcating entrepreneurship skills among women and providing a support mechanism
  • Monitoring the effectiveness and impact of policies
  • Strengthening implementation of G20 commitments
  • Involve Social Partners (Employer organisations offer business support services, and legal services, including to Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises)

• Acknowledge the difficulties in changing mindsets and cultures, and to do so would require transformational collective action in the world of work and at the societal levels.
• Agree to discuss these issues with the different B20 task forces and invite G20 member states to work with the private sector.

Signatories: