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APEC ministers and high-level representatives from 21 member economies issued a statement that aims to boost efforts to empower women's participation in the economy.

The statement outcomes of the 2022 APEC Women and the Economy Forum reflects concerns over the widening gap and rising inequality for women and underlines the urgent need to step up efforts to empower them, promote their meaningful participation in the economy, and improve their livelihoods, according to a release issued by the APEC Women and the Economy Forum  on Thursday.

The 2022 APEC Women and the Economy Forum was held in Bangkok, Thailand, and chaired by Thailand’s Minister of Social Development and Human Security Chuti Krairiksh.

The statement also reiterates commitments to advance gender equality, women’s empowerment, and a sustainable and inclusive recovery and call for all APEC members to continue to work towards the goal of women's empowerment in the economy.

The statement details the strong support of APEC members to advance meaningful actions with consensus in the following areas.

The first area of focus is accelerating the implementation of the La Serena Roadmap for Women and Inclusive Growth in the 2019-2030 period.

The second aspect to be prioritized is recognizing that women and girls can develop meaningful, effective, and relevant solutions to advance the bio-circular-green economy model.

The third area to be given importance is bridging the gender digital divide by ensuring equitable access to the internet and in digital skills training.

The fourth target is removing barriers that prevent women and girls of diverse backgrounds from being fully empowered and from benefitting from recovery opportunities.

The fifth focus is adopting policies to recognize, reduce, and equitably redistribute the unpaid care and domestic work conducted by women and girls.

Lastly, the target is collecting, analyzing, and disseminating sex-disaggregated data, including that pertaining to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training and careers, to make informed decisions, investments, and actions. (Antaranews)