The G20 EMPOWER Summit, held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on August 1st, 2023, marked a significant stride towards women-led development, redefining the discourse around women’s empowerment. Building on previous meetings in Agra and Thiruvananthapuram earlier in the year, the summit brought together over 300 participants, including domestic and international delegates from G20 and guest countries, along with leading international organizations.
Under India’s G20 Presidency, the focus extended beyond women’s empowerment to encompass women-led development across the life-course approach. With a commitment to fostering equity, economy, and leadership, the summit tackled key themes: Education as a catalyst for empowerment, Women’s Entrepreneurship as a pathway to equity and prosperity, and Creating a Partnership for Women’s Leadership, with digital inclusion as a vital enabler.
The Inaugural session featured prominent voices, including Union Minister for Women & Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smt Smriti Zubin Irani, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, and international dignitaries. The summit yielded tangible outcomes, commitments, and recommendations across these thematic pillars, emphasizing the role of digital inclusion.
Mr. Mohammad Naciri, Chief of Staff, Office of Executive Director, UN Women, commended India’s embrace of a women-led development approach, highlighting its transformative potential. He stressed that this shift empowers women as contributors rather than just beneficiaries, aligning with the G20’s vision of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future,’ with an added emphasis on ‘One Chance’ for sustainable progress through gender equality.
Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State, Women & Child Development, emphasized bridging the digital gender divide as paramount for enhancing women’s contributions to economic growth. She underlined the need to improve access to digital resources, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership roles, highlighting the importance of gender-disaggregated data to address the digital gender gap.
Smriti Zubin Irani highlighted the launch of TechEquity, a groundbreaking Digital Inclusion platform aimed at empowering women globally in education, career transition, and advancement, particularly in STEM fields. The platform offers training programs and resources, spanning digital and financial literacy. Courses submitted by G20 members and guest countries are expected to be accessible in 120 languages, targeting outreach to 1 million users worldwide.
G20 EMPOWER serves as a dynamic platform for cross-industry learning and knowledge exchange between the public and private sectors. The G20 EMPOWER Best Practices Playbook, scaled up under India’s Presidency, showcases 149 best practices from 19 G20 countries, digitized for easy accessibility. This year’s focus on women entrepreneurs and grassroots leaders added a fourth area to the playbook, encouraging private sector initiatives at the local level.
The G20 EMPOWER Summit in Gandhinagar underscores India’s commitment to advancing women-led development and fostering inclusive growth. By embracing digital inclusion and promoting gender equality, the summit sets a powerful precedent for global collaboration and progress.
