Funded by the EU, UN Women will implement the €8 million programme in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, aiming to integrate gender concerns into business practices in the region.
WeEmpower Asia will promote dialogue among women’s groups and the public and private sector so as to enable a business environment that empowers women; provide skills training for female entrepreneurs to engage with businesses, policy-makers and decision-makers; and support companies to adopt the Women’s Empowerment Principles.
EU Principal Advisor on Gender Ambassador Mara Marinaki said women’s economic empowerment is a pre-requisite for inclusive and equitable economic growth, according a UN Women press release received from Bangkok, Thailand.
Marinaki said it can drive gender equality outcomes and broader intergenerational benefits for women, their children, households and communities.
“Women who are economically empowered have greater access to income and economic assets, better control over their own economic gains and more equitable decision-making power to translate these gains into social, economic, and health benefits for themselves, their families and their societies,” Marinaki stated.
UN Women’s acting Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Anna-Karin Jatfors said women make crucial contributions to the region’s economies.
“WeEmpower Asia will create transformative partnerships between private sector companies, female entrepreneurs and women-led businesses, and policymakers to drive social change. It will benefit not only women, but also societies and economies as a whole.”
The EU and UN Women have already joined hands working closely on women's economic empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as at G7 level under two other programmes that are being implemented simultaneously: Win-Win -- Gender equality means good businessand WeEmpower -- Promoting economic empowerment of women at work through responsible business conduct.
These programmes and WeEmpower Asia launched are concrete examples of EU's commitment to gender equality and respond to an increasingly global movement that urges companies, suppliers and consumers to work together to strengthen the voice and participation of women at work.