Csaba?K?r?si,?President of the 77th?session of the General Assembly
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?CEO Roundtable discussion on A Gender Equal Future of Work in the Digital Age
15 March 2023
[As prepared]
Dear Executive Directors,
Dear Colleagues,
A very good afternoon to you all.
It is good to see so many people in the same room who hold the keys to transformation in our societies.
And l am sure that there will be no real transformation, unless we release the full potential of the half of humanity: women and girls.
It is very timely that you share your perspectives on how we can advance gender equality in the workplace during this digital era.
Women now lead only 10% of Fortune 500 companies – this is still a far cry from equality.
Data would also tell us that, with today’s speed, it may take 257 years to close the gender pay gap.
This is a ringing alarm that we have a long way to go.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Women’s economic empowerment is a right, not a privilege.
It’s common sense, not charity.
It’s also good business.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and women were forced to leave the workforce at a much higher rate than men, it cost women $800 billion in income.
Studies also show that the equal participation of women and men in the economy could add $28 trillion to global GDP.
Dear Friends,
Gender equality cuts across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
And with the midpoint of fulfilling our 2030 Agenda fast approaching, we simply cannot afford to postpone action any longer.
To drive transformational change in sustainable development – we must embrace technology.
Yet within the tech sector itself, women are often “gender gapped” – underhired, underrepresented and underpaid.
Only when women and girls have equal access to the digital sphere, can technology truly be a vessel for driving transformative change.
Alaina Percival, CEO of Women Who Code, once said: “I realized that if I was willing to step up and be in the spotlight, I’d be able to make everyone else around me much more powerful as well.”
This is about women supporting each other and showing to girls that they can follow the pathways of their choice.
More than 6,000 corporate leaders – perhaps everyone in this room – already support the Women’s Empowerment Principles developed by 蘑菇视频-Women and the Global Compact.
But how are your companies putting these principles into action?
I ask the same of any of you who are leading on gender equality as members of the Champions of Change Coalition.
How to enhance the digital literacy of women and girls?
How to tackle the stereotypes preventing them from pursuing STEM careers?
And how to support women’s leadership in the private sector?
It is up to us, in this room, CEOs and decision-makers, to foster an environment for women and girls where they can unlock their true potential.
But, enough of me preaching to the choir.
Today, my role is to listen and learn from you all.
I look forward to your contributions and to having a productive exchange with you today.
I thank you.