This forum brings together more than 400 business leaders, governments, academia, trade unions and civil society, from 25 countries, to share best practices for reducing gender gaps in the workplace and to highlight the role of the business sector as a key player in advancing gender equality and building inclusive work environments for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
When Armando Ortiz flew to Puerto Rico three weeks after Hurricane Maria slammed ashore, he wept to see his ravaged homeland. Now four months later, he is back, this time with other Duke Energy employees helping to restore power.
Gender inequality and the process of empowerment are both dynamic and complex; as are the market systems in which women work. Monitoring and evaluation systems must be consistently updated and adapted in line with the changing needs of women to effectively address the market constraints they face and the positive impact of their empowerment on business growth. This requires a carefully designed measurement system that captures data on women’s economic empowerment from multiple perspectives and sources.
“I remember when I was hired by the Memphis Department of Public Works on April 15, 1967,” recalls Rev. Cleophus Smith. “This particular morning, it was cold. I’m talkin’ about cold, cold. We didn’t have sufficient gloves, clothes, nor did we have water to drink on the job.” Mid-January, 1968: Memphis, Tenn. The low on most days around this time of year was 19 degrees Fahrenheit (°F). The high, falling somewhere in the mid-20s. Hundreds of men – black workers for the Memphis Department of Public Works – went to work each day in the cold, sometimes having to brave freezing rain, sleet, or snow, too.
We invite you to submit a solvable problem to be considered for one of the collaborative action tracks at the next Global Engagement Forum: Live, a two-day event this fall that will bring together leaders from the private, public, and social sectors to develop cross-sector concepts that address urgent, yet solvable problems within the United Nations Global Goals.
On March 1, Whole Planet Foundation launches its Annual Prosperity Campaign to alleviate poverty around the globe for the world’s poorest people – mostly women – living in communities where Whole Foods Market® sources products. This year’s campaign goal is to raise $3 million to increase the foundation’s current reach of 72 countries and 16 U.S. cities.