The G20 Alliance for the Empowerment and Progression of Women’s Economic Representation (EMPOWER) is an alliance of G20 business leaders and governments that aims to accelerate women’s leadership and empowerment in the private sector.
Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals, expressed her enthusiasm for her role as the head of G20 EMPOWER. She acknowledged the depth of the challenges, the diverse range of solutions, and the commendable initiatives undertaken by the Indian government during the G20 presidency. She emphasised the global recognition of India's efforts within the G20 framework.
Several initiatives are being pursued within G20 EMPOWER. One involves creating a playbook that compiles positive initiatives from around the world, serving as an inspiration for others. Another significant effort is sharing inspirational stories, as it is crucial for women to hear about the success of other women, and for men to be exposed to such stories as well.
Additionally, G20 EMPOWER is calling for advocates from various organisations, including banks and companies, to join the cause and endorse the importance of gender equity.
Also, during the event, Eka Lakhani, a costume designer, and Pratiksha Prashant, the CEO of Kishandas & Co, shared their insights into the task of bringing the Chola dynasty to life in the film adaptation of the novel, Ponniyin Selvan.
Their discussion centred around the meticulous efforts and creative vision required to accurately portray the grandeur and essence of the Chola dynasty through costume design.
Speaking at the event, Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of Industries & Commerce and Information Technology in the Telangana government, said, “One of the most significant achievements of the Telangana government has been the phenomenal rise in the per capita income. The state’s per capita income has risen by 130 percent from what it was in 2014. A significant part of it has been contributed by women and it has happened because the government has taken lot of efforts to mobilise women at the grassroots into very strong receiving mechanism.”
Surendra Rosha, Co-CEO of HSBC Asia Pacific, said, “There is a whole lot of research that talks about why being a more diverse, more inclusive organisation makes you more productive. However if you take statistics — in the G20 countries if we were to increase female participation rates, then we would add approximately ($) 5.8 trillion to the GDP over the next 5-6 years."
“In HSBC we have 30 percent women in senior leadership globally. We want to get to 35 percent by 2025 and we want to keep improving that till we get to parity number. So there is work being done. We have also set up a $1-billion fund that is entirely focused on female entrepreneurs and we are learning from those interactions on how we can improve the decision making for future funds or future investments that we make,” he added.
