President Aquino keynotes dialogue between public and private sector to further enhance women’s economic participation

October 16, 2015

from apec2015.ph

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, together with Gregory L. Domingo, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary and Chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (fifth from left, first row); Nora K. Terrado, DTI Undersecretary and Chair of the APEC Women and the Economy (WE) 2015 Fora (sixth from left, first row); and Lilia B. De Lima, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General and Head of the Philippine Delegation to APEC WE 2015 Fora (fourth from right, first row), poses with the heads of delegation of the APEC member-economies during the Public-Private Dialogue on Women and the Economy (PPDWE) of the APEC WE 2015 Fora on September 17, 2015 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

This fora has emerged as a conscious effort by women representatives from APEC member economies to take stock of past achievements, identify present and continuing barriers, and appropriate interventions, as well as support future aspirations of women as prime movers of economic growth. Domingo introduced Aquino who delivered his keynote speech of the forum, attended by around 800 participants representing the private sector, academia, and non-government organizations across the APEC economies.

The dialogue intends to provide recommendations, which will be forwarded to the Heads of Delegation at the High Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy. It gathered participation of key players from the private sector, academia, and civil society to discuss, exchange learnings, and best endeavors to advance gender integration, gender equality, and women’s economic empowerment agenda in APEC.