The Vision of G20 EMPOWER is to "Be the most inclusive and action-driven alliance among businesses and Governments to accelerate women's leadership and empowerment across the G20 countries".
The G20 Presidency of India is inclusive, equitable, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented, to bring about transformative changes for women's economic empowerment.
The G20 EMPOWER 2023 initiative, led by India, prioritizes the transition from women's development to women-led development. It aims to turn challenges into opportunities, accelerating the shift towards female-led entrepreneurship and greater female workforce inclusion.
India's nodal ministry for G20 EMPOWER is the Ministry of Women and Child Development. EMPOWER 2023 will be chaired by Dr. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd., during India's G20 presidency. Under India's G20 presidency, EMPOWER will carry three meetings in Agra, Thiruvananthapuram, and Bhopal in February, April, and June 2023, respectively.
The consensus reached during these meetings would be implemented into the Communique for the G20 EMPOWER 2023 and presented to the G20 leaders as recommendations.
G20 EMPOWER 2023 will focus on women's entrepreneurship as a win-win for equity and the economy, establishing a partnership for promoting women's leadership at the grassroots level and bringing about new paths for women's empowerment. Digital skilling will be a recurring theme in all three focus areas.
The inaugural meeting, scheduled for February 11th and 12th in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, will welcome women leaders from the G20, guest countries, international organizations, and the private sector. The theme of the meeting is "Empowering Women to Lead across Sectors: Role of Digital Skilling and Future Skills".
Smriti Zubin Irani, Honourable Minister of Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, will grace the Inception Meeting and share her valuable insights on women-led development during the opening session. At the first-ever G20 Ministerial on Women's Empowerment in Italy, Minister Irani reaffirmed India's commitment to addressing gender and women-centric issues through cooperation. Hon'ble Minister shared the "transformative" measures taken by India to leverage technology, leading to the holistic development of women and India’s path from women’s development to women-led development.
Hon'ble Minister shared the "transformative" measures taken by India to leverage technology leading to the holistic development of women at the G20 Women's Ministerial in Bali, as well as India's journey of transitioning from women's development to women-led development. At the G20 EMPOWER 2022 closing plenary in Bali, Indonesia, the Hon'ble Minister emphasized the importance of closing the digital gender gap and increasing women's participation in STEM, AI, and future skills. Dr. Munjapara Mahendrabhai, Hon'ble Minister of State for the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ayush, will also brief the august gathering on women's empowerment initiatives in India.
Shri Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa, will share his thoughts on EMPOWER 2023 as India's G20 Sherpa. Shri Indevar Pandey, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, as well as senior officers from the G20 Secretariat, the Government of India, and the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, will be present in the inception meeting.
The discussions at the G20 EMPOWER Inception, which will take place over two days, will set the tone for future meetings and influence what the future holds for women at all levels. Highlights of these dialogues would include redefining women's leadership through digital skilling; grassroots community leadership; increasing women's participation in non-traditional workforces; adopting best practices for women-led entrepreneurship, and so on.
Efforts of the G20 EMPOWER are an important step towards galvanizing women-centric policies across G20 countries. Closing the digital gender gap is imperative, fostering digital gender inclusion and addressing the root causes of this divide will accelerate progress.
An exhibition will run concurrently during the event to showcase the work of women-led micro-enterprises, women artisans, and crafts persons from various States. The exhibition will also highlight women’s contribution at the grassroots in the fields of health, financial inclusion, digital skilling, etc.
In addition, the G20 EMPOWER Inception meeting will have cultural and musical interludes and programs including visits to historical monuments, showcasing the heritage of Uttar Pradesh. Early morning yoga sessions are planned for the delegates; local cuisine and millet-based food will also be served during the events for participants to experience the traditional practices and fine cuisine of India.
Dr. Sangita Reddy, Chair of G20 EMPOWER when she took over the chairpersonship of G20 EMPOWER Indonesia, emphasized that achieving gender pairing labor force participation and the G20 agenda of achieving “25 by 25” is a significant milestone that we need to pursue. She urged all women who have held positions of power and men who understand the value of gender equity to step forward and help build an equitable world with collaborative and concerted action. Education, training, digital skilling, sustainable financing, and equal pay for equal work are some of the factors that will drive women’s employment, enhance entrepreneurship and help build a developed nation in the “Amrit Kaal (golden age)”.
The website of the G20 EMPOWER will act as the information and resource center for all EMPOWER activities and focus areas during India’s G20 Presidency. The website aims to take the EMPOWER message to the people - “Yatra Naryastu Pujyante Ramante Tatra Devata” or When Women are Honoured, Divinity Blossoms there.
India believes that the gender agenda is urgent and must take center stage. Under India's presidency, the G20 EMPOWER 2023 promises to be a catalyst for creating an ecosystem for empowering women, supporting their aspirations, and creating substantive opportunities for women and girls across G20 countries.
