FULL CALL TO ACTION HERE

The entire humanity is undergoing an historical moment of change: the world is a very different place today and will never be the same again.

On the one hand, the current economic, social and sanitary crisis is drastically increasing the pre-existing gender inequalities. Indeed, before the Covid-19 pandemic, even if more than 52% of women were working worldwide, they were contributing to only 34% of the global growth. On the other hand, this pandemic represents a unique moment to shift the paradigm of our economies and societies and create a better world for the benefit of all .

At the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, we are convinced that the positive change can truthfully come from the G20 Countries , which together account for 60% of the world’s population, represent more than 80% of the global Gross Domestic Product and 75% of global trade. They have the responsibility to lead by example by fostering women’s empowerment and impactful leadership.

Over time, the Women’s Forum has demonstrated its expertise in raising awareness and in influencing global leadership groups such as the G7 and the G20, ensuring to highlight women’s vision and have a strong impact on the global ecosystem.

This is why we are launching the Call to Action, ‘ A She-Covery for All ’, addressed to the G20 Leaders and presented at the Women’s Forum G20 Italy, on the occasion of the first-ever Italian Presidency of the G20 in 2021. We are calling on the G20 Leaders to mainstream a gender dimension in their Agenda and acknowledge women as active contributors in bringing transformative solutions and building back better.

We are promoting the best initiatives developed by the Champions of gender equality , public and private stakeholders who are already successfully making a difference to guarantee that, in every field, women and men join their diverse perspectives and strengths to tackle global challenges.

We are asking to scale up these key projects and actions at the highest level in order to in order to deploy them within the G20 countries and beyond.

We tackle crucial issues to ensure that women become key players co-creating along with men the new world that humanity needs.

We focus in particular on STEM education for girls and women as a priority, as well as on the importance of responsible technology for good, the nexus between climate and gender, women’s empowerment coming from entrepreneurship, and the necessity of an equal access to health.

We are stressing the importance of designing an inclusive future of work, where women have the same chances, assets, skills and expertise as men to be at the center of the jobs of the future, integrating a gender approach to career opportunities and work-life balance.

We urge that gender criteria are systematically adopted in international development assistance and that an equal representation is achieved at all levels of public and private governance.

Our recommendations are achievable, concrete and pragmatic. In conceiving them, we have adopted a very simple but effective principle. We are not asking for new financial resources: but rather we strongly believe that existing funds should be reorganised and driven for the better.

We have closely worked with the Italian G20 Presidency , in particular in the framework of the G20 Conference on Gender Equality chaired by Professor Elena Bonetti, Italian Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and drawing inspiration from the G20 Labour and Employment Ministerial Declaration, committing to a Roadmap towards and beyond the Brisbane Target.

In this context, we also acknowledge the precious contribution from OECD, including the engagement to reduce the gender gap in labour market participation by 25% in 2025: it is an example of its visionary ambition.

Moreover, our Call to Action is aligned to and capitalises on the inspiring work that has been produced this year by the main G20 engagement groups, such as the B20, the W20 and the G20 EMPOWER Alliance, with whom we have closely collaborated throughout the year, without forgetting the complicity with other strong women’s networks worldwide.

These proposals have been constructed in collaboration with all the partners of the Women’s Forum, including with Advisory Board Italy, to whom we would like to pay a very special tribute.

According to the Women’s Forum Barometer at the G20 level, more than 8 of 10 think that closing the gender gap and designing an inclusive economic recovery is a top priority.

We strongly believe that this is the momentum for the G20 Leaders to realise the She-Covery , committing to putting women at the heart of the economy, society and science, and to bring forward their strong added value, innovative thinking and creativity, across generations, cultures, regions, and throughout the private and public sectors.

Chiara Corazza

Special representative to the G7 and G20 Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society