Twenty-five delegates from the Asia-Pacific gathered for the opening of the Conference on Female Workforce Participation and Productivity Enhancement, Tuesday, 5 April, at the APO Secretariat in Tokyo. Representing 17 APO member economies, various policymakers, industry officials, and academics active in the area of gender-related labor issues and gender mainstreaming are attending the conference not only to learn about the global trends in and concepts on the topic but also to share their own experiences and insights on increasing women’s presence in the workforce to contribute to further socioeconomic development.

“How does female workforce participation impact productivity?”

Following lectures by experts from India, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the USA on the progress and challenges of gender mainstreaming in labor markets, the participants discussed how promoting a greater role for women in the workforce promotes productivity.

The conference continues for the next two days to examine policies for promoting female workforce participation and explore ways in which the development of the region could benefit from supporting and empowering employed and employable women.