Gender inequality remains a common issue, so women are sometimes considered weak.G20 Empower, which is part of Indonesia's G20 Presidency, is a vital means to realize joint commitment to struggle for gender equality and women’s empowerment and create a better world for all, a minister stated.
“Gender inequality remains a common issue, so women are sometimes considered weak," Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga noted during the 2nd side event of the Second G20 Empower Plenary Meeting monitored in Jakarta on Wednesday.
As a matter of fact, women are a great source of strength to support families, communities, nations, and the world and are the backbone of the community to recover from the current crisis, she stated at the event themed "Rebuilding women's Productivity Post Pandemic."
Related news: Indonesia recommends report on gender indicators in business at G20
Women's empowerment functions as a catalyst to lift people out of poverty and create economic stability in pursuit of prosperity for all, the minister remarked.
"Researches show that when women are empowered economically, they will invest (some of) their income for nutrition, healthcare, and education for their children," Puspayoga stated.
The minister pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic, women were the most affected.
Related news: Kartini Day: First Lady believes in women's awakening against pandemic
"Women, particularly those employed in the informal sector, hardly have a social safety net, so they run the greater risk of economic instability," she pointed out.
Based on the February 2021 data, women's labor force participation rate stood at 54 percent, well below that of men recorded at 82 percent. Consequently, the number of women playing a role in corporate management is also low, she stated.
According to the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data in 2020, only 33 percent of the corporate managers were women.
Related news: G20 Empower holds women leaders' meeting to realize gender equality
Related news: Need gender education to boost women's participation in development