The G20 Digital Ministers Conference convenes for the first time the G20 Ministers responsible for the digital economy during the 2017 German G20 Presidency.
The Women Political Leaders Global Forum (WPL) brought together female leading politicians from G20 countries in the high-level roundtable discussion “Digitalisation: Policies for a Digital Future” at 5-6 April, in Düsseldorf. The event was co-hosted by Women20 (W20), an official engagement group of the G20
The session focused on identifying the major drivers transforming digital economy and digital society and pointing out the central question: how women political leaders should steer this process?
Brigitte Zypries, German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy and host of the G20 Digital Ministers Meeting, will bring the outcomes of the high-level roundtable to the attention of the G20 Ministers. "Digitalisation is key to the future of our societies as the digital transformation has embraced all areas of our lives. We will host the first G20 Digital Ministers in order to put digitalization on the agenda of international politics,” Zypries explained.
“I am glad that the issue of digitalization will also be addressed in Dusseldorf by WPL as we need to increase the number of women in leading positions, as founders and as entrepreneurs. If we don’t, we will miss out on a lot of economic potential and, of course, a lot of creativity!" the German Minister also added.
W20 promotes women’s economic empowerment as an integral part of the G20 process through specific recommendations for action, advocacy and expertise. W20 mainstreams equal participation into the G20 process as a principle of sustainable economies. Digital inclusion is one of the three pillars W20 focus, together with labour market and financial inclusion.
WPL is the international network of female politicians. Its mission is to increase both the number and the influence of women in political leadership positions. In co-operating with W20, women political networks as a fundamental tool to achieve equitable representation are further strengthened.
Silvana Koch-Mehrin, WPL President and Founder: “We want more women leading the digital change. Women politicians can and want to play a decisive role in shaping the digital future. To accelerate, women need three things: communication, connection, community; these are the elements WPL works for.”
Mona Küppers, W20 Germany Co-Chair and President of the National Council of German Women ‘s Organizations (Deutscher Frauenrat): “Good governance depends on an active, self-confident and strong civil society and civil society can only flower out under a responsive government.” According to Küppers, “W20 is not supposed to be a token side-show. We seek to make the W20 a constant and integral engagement group. And therefore, G20 has to establish binding and measurable goals and a comprehensive monitoring system.”
Stephanie Bschorr, W20 Germany Co-Chair and President of the Association of German Women Entrepreneurs (VdU): “We have to develop the full potential of digitalization by recruiting women and girls as active designers of this future-oriented industry and close the digital divide.”
W20 also presented the studies ‘Effects of digitalisation on gender equality in the G20’ (prepared by Kiel Institute for the World Economy) and ‘Bridging the gender digital access gap’ (prepared by betterplace lab). The studies focus on the barriers to access and use of ICT for women, the impact of digitalization on the future of women's work and financial inclusion. They further provide a survey of selected policy measures and initiatives in G20 countries aimed at reducing the gender digital divide, which can be regarded as an incremental barrier to women’s economic empowerment in the digital age.
Practical information for the press:
Detailed information (agenda, speeches, speakers, etc) of the event can be found through this link:
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