Women are the key to the global economic future and to the recovery effort from the crisis caused by Covid-19. This is stated in the Call to Action on Women’s Economic Empowerment, led by the U.S., signed in October 2021.
The Call to Action is signed by 31 member states from all regions of the world — including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Estonia, and Rwanda — and aims to ensure that women everywhere have the capacity to
participate freely and fully in the global economy.
The agreement “is a recognition of the collective commitment involving the U.S. and 31 countries that make up the core group to provide economic opportunities for women around the world,” said Ivanka Trump, advisor to the president, during the launch of the call to action.
“We hope to continue to increase this support,” she concluded.
The 12 commitments of the Call to Action emphasize the following elements concerning women: education, access to economic opportunities, and the need to address barriers to women’s full participation in their country’s economy. It also recognizes women’s domestic work, clarifying how the fair distribution of family responsibilities creates a conducive environment for women’s economic empowerment.
At the launch event held in October, U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo noted: “Our country was founded on the evident truth that all men and women are endowed with certain unalienable rights and deserve the chance to reach their God-given potential.”
The Call to Action builds on proven initiatives from the State Department around the world aimed at economically empowering women, including the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP).
Peruvian Magaly Huallpa, for example, is a graduate of the State Department’s Women Entrepreneur Academy program, part of the W-GDP initiative. Through her training, she was able to open and manage her own chocolate business, which earned her the award for the best chocolatier in Cusco.
Pompeo acknowledged her achievements at the launch of the Call to Action, describing how her hard work benefited her family, her business, and her community.
“Her story demonstrates the cascading effect that education and economic freedom can have on an entire community,” Pompeo said.
Source: www.share.america.gov