Tuesday 22 / April / 2025
New Delhi: India played a prominent role at the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, where "Rebuilding Trust" was the central theme.
Their delegation, led by three cabinet ministers, announced the launch of the "Global Good Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality," supported by the WEF and the Indian government.
India's leadership in this multi-stakeholder initiative shines a spotlight on the nation's commitment to driving global socio-economic progress. The initiative's focus on equity and equality will have a lasting impact, influencing stakeholders worldwide to prioritize these values in their own work.
This new alliance builds upon the G20 Leaders' Declaration and Indian Prime Minister Modi's commitment to women-led development, extending beyond women empowerment. It aims to share the best practices, knowledge, and investments in women's health, education, and enterprise globally.
Following the G20 framework and initiatives like Business 20, Women 20, and G20 EMPOWER, this alliance aims to benefit the entire world community. Minister Smriti Irani emphasized the unique collaboration between industry, enterprise, and humanitarian aspects at the launch.
Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the CII Centre for Women Leadership will manage the alliance, partnering with organizations like Mastercard, Uber, and Tata. This initiative has already garnered significant support from over 10,000 industry partners.
The 'Alliance for Global Good- Gender Equity and Equality' is fast becoming a major force in addressing gender-related issues.
At the World Economic Forum (WEF), India's Union Minister of Women & Child Development also launched the first-ever women's leadership lounge. This "We Lead" lounge was a collaborative effort with CII and BMGF, hosting discussions on women-led development, economic participation, reducing the digital gender gap, and prioritising women's health.
It also showcased the work of women entrepreneurs and products from India's tea and coffee board. The "We Lead" lounge promoted the vital message that global prosperity is directly enhanced by the empowerment of women.
The Alliance upholds the G-20 New Delhi Leader’s Declaration, advocating for resolute measures in women's equity and empowerment. Under India's G20 Presidency, global focus shifted to women-led development, culminating in the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration 2023, pledging unwavering commitments to gender equality and establishing a new Working Group on Women's Empowerment.
Priorities include economic empowerment, bridging the gender digital divide, fostering gender-inclusive climate action, and ensuring women's food security. This success reflects PM Modi's unwavering support for gender equality and joint dedication from India and G20 nations, fostering collaboration among member countries, guest nations, the W20 engagement group, and the EMPOWER initiative, celebrated through conferences highlighting Indian women's leadership across various sectors.
Over the past decade, India has made significant strides in mainstreaming gender equality. One major example is the Women's Reservation Bill, which guarantees that one-third of seats in legislative bodies like Parliament and State Assemblies are held by women.
This commitment extends to financial resources, with the government allocating nearly $27 billion in the 2023-24 budget specifically for programmes aimed at empowering women. Furthermore, India is seeing positive changes in areas like female labour force participation and higher education enrolment, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The Alliance for Global Good provides a platform for industries across the globe to collaborate on advancing women's economic empowerment. Members can share proven strategies, fund effective programmes, and work together to create a more inclusive world. The Alliance promotes open discussion and decision-making about how to increase women's leadership roles by improving their access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities.
Women are a cornerstone of society, and their progress goes hand-in-hand with societal development. When women thrive in areas like education and the economy, the whole society benefits.
Empowering women drives this progress in various ways: their economic participation fuels development, access to education fosters global advancement, leadership promotes inclusivity, and their voices ignite positive change. Recognizing this crucial role, the Global Alliance for Global Good- Gender Equity and Equality aims to unify the best global practices, encourage knowledge sharing, and attract investments in areas crucial to women's well-being, such as health, education, and entrepreneurship.
Gender parity goes beyond a simple numerical balance. It is deeply rooted in human rights and equality, ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities, rights, and responsibilities regardless of their gender. This concept goes hand-in-hand with social justice, seeking to eliminate discrimination and bias based on gender and promoting fair treatment and dignity for all.
Moreover, research shows that economic growth benefits from gender diversity in the workforce. Diverse companies tend to be more innovative, make better decisions, and outperform their less diverse counterparts. Achieving improved governance also requires gender-balanced representation. When diverse perspectives are included in political and decision-making processes, it leads to more inclusive policies and effective solutions.
On a broader level, gender parity is linked to improvements in health and education. When both genders have equal access to these essential services, it leads to healthier and more educated populations. Additionally, societies with greater gender equality tend to be more stable. Addressing gender-based discrimination and violence fosters social harmony and cohesion.
Achieving gender parity is not only about achieving numerical equality, but also about creating a world where individuals can thrive regardless of their gender. It provides positive role models for future generations, breaking down harmful stereotypes and encouraging everyone to pursue their aspirations without limitations. Finally, striving for gender parity aligns with several key international development goals, contributing to a more just and sustainable world for all.
Global leaders are recognizing the success of India's initiatives in areas like sports, space exploration, and UN peacekeeping missions. The enthusiasm for the We Lead lounge at Davos, established by India's Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Confederation of Indian Industry, highlights international interest in India's development model. This platform fostered discussions on how the world can collaborate with India to promote inclusive development.
The Alliance is to be anchored by The CII Centre for Women's Leadership, to be guided by India's Minister of Women and Child Development, with a substantial contribution from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Alliance boasts a global network of industry leaders, experts, think tanks, and country representatives. This collaborative network aims to take direct action to enhance women's empowerment around the world.
The alliance aims to create and share effective solutions for women-led development. Its focus includes educational technology, healthcare training, women's health programmes, skill development, agriculture technology, women-owned businesses, and access to financial resources. The alliance unites key players to drive progress on this vital global issue.
Global industries have a chance to collaborate and promote the advancement of women in the workplace. India is ready to share successful strategies, support programmes that empower women with essential skills, and scale these initiatives. By working with industry leaders, think tanks, and investors, it will be possible to foster solutions that make inclusion a core focus within businesses. This also strengthens India's dedication to empowering women with better access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, ultimately increasing their leadership and engagement in the economy.
India is actively promoting investments in women-led development, which is recognized as the most effective way to empower women. This commitment is further solidified by India's launch of the "Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality." This initiative presents a valuable chance to collaborate with the global community in finding solutions for increased female engagement and leadership in the economy. Additionally, India prioritizes removing barriers that restrict women's access to markets and global opportunities.
In conclusion, India stands as a beacon of progress in gender equity and equality, emerging as a role model and leader in the Global South. Under PM Modi's leadership, India's initiatives, exemplified by the "Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality," showcase a commitment that extends beyond mere empowerment. The groundbreaking Women's Reservation Bill, allocating one-third of seats in government bodies to women, and the "We Lead" lounge at Davos underscore India's dedication to advancing women's roles in society. With exclusive budget allocation for women's empowerment programmes and positive trends in female labour force participation and STEM education, India sets an inspiring model for other nations in championing gender parity and socio-economic progress.
