The Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry has asked the private sector to increase the role of women in the world of work.
One way to achieve this is by asking leaders of companies to promote women’s leadership, the ministry’s people’s participation deputy, Indra Gunawan, said at the G20 Empower third side event on Tuesday.
G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the presidency of the grouping this year.
The government is continuing to push the private sector to promote gender equality in the working world through the G20 forum, he said during the side event, a webinar entitled “The Future of Work: Accelerating Opportunities and Challenges for Women in the World of Work and Business.”
The government can also support women’s economic development, he added.
This can be done by identifying the best practices that can be replicated at the national level, he explained.
Gunawan said he expects that the acceleration of women’s empowerment practices will continue to be supported by all parties given that women’s participation has tended to decline throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the factors behind this has been gender stereotypes that still exist in foundational industries, namely industries dominated by men who tend to underestimate the role and participation of women, he elaborated.
Before the global pandemic, one of the challenges that women encountered in the work market included adjusting to new technologies, which has remained relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To this end, he urged all parties to contribute to supporting and bolstering the women’s empowerment commitment within the working world and community.
By increasing the role of women, people can invest in the prosperity of the nation’s future, he remarked.
During the event, the Communication and Information Ministry’s secretary general, Mira Tayyiba, said that collaborative effort between the government, industry, and other stakeholders is necessary to realize gender equality.
G20 Empower encourages improving digital skills and literacy, especially among women, to reduce the gender gap in the two fields, she added.
Source: Antara News