GOA: Women delegates from across the globe united to discuss the pressing issue of gender inequality, at a G20 meeting here. The main theme of the discussion was ‘Women-led Development’.
The meeting took place as a side event of the third meeting of G20 Development Working Group which met here from May 8 to 11. The group focused on the importance of financial and digital inclusion of women worldwide.
“Break stereotypes”
Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former President of the United Nations General Assembly, emphasised the issue of the “imposter syndrome” among women. She stressed the need for women in leadership positions to set examples to break these stereotypes, and for institutions and systems to welcome feminine leadership.
Baratang Miya, founder and CEO of ‘GirlHype -Women Who Code’ from South Africa, highlighted the importance of tech literacy in breaking barriers to women’s participation in jobs. She urged women to pioneer algorithms that generate digital content, and understand the foundations upon which they are built.
Institutional support
Susan Ferguson, Country Representative of UN Women, emphasised that no single factor in silos can unlock the potential of women empowerment. She stressed the importance of institutional efforts towards supporting job matching, safe working environments, access to transportation, and family support for women’s economic participation.
Kajal Ilmi, founder and CEO of Aviom India Housing Finance, identified the complex cultural relationship women have with money management and finance. She stressed the need for promoting and supporting women’s financial literacy, and for financial institutions to create sustainable social impact channels through micro-finance and women’s entrepreneurship.
Inclusive hiring
Charu Malhotra, Co-Founder of Primus Partners, highlighted the need for inclusive hiring practices and gender-neutral work environments to empower women in the workforce. She emphasized the importance of addressing unconscious bias in recruitment processes and promoting equal pay for equal work. Debjani Ghosh, President of the National Association of Software & Services Companies (Nasscom), stressed the need for supporting women entrepreneurs in the tech industry.
Policy support
Eenam Gambhir, Joint Secretary (G20) at the Ministry of External Affairs, emphasised the need for policy makers to take into account gender perspective while designing policies and programs. She highlighted that the Covid-19 pandemic had exacerbated gender inequalities, and there was a need for urgent action to mitigate its impact on women.
Temina Lalani Shariff, Regional Director for South Asia at CGIAR, spoke about the need to prioritize women’s access to land, water, and other natural resources. She emphasized that women farmers are essential contributors to the agricultural sector and that their participation is vital for food security and sustainable development.
Among other speakers were Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Disha Amrith, both Air Operations Officers in the Indian Navy, as well as Surgeon Cdr Shazia Khan, a Medical Officer in the Indian Navy. Representatives from international organisations, such as Samantha Hung, Chief of Gender Equality Thematic Group at the Asian Development Bank also shared their expertise.
