Pitching for economic empowerment of women, former Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday said the potential for innovation, resilience and progress gets unlocked when women are empowered in a society. Irani, founder and chairperson of Alliance for Global Good- Gender Equity and Equality, announced here on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting a partnership of the alliance with the Commonwealth Secretariat.
"The partnership between the Alliance for Global Good and the Commonwealth is both timely and crucial," said Irani, who served as Women and Child Development Minister in the previous government.
The Alliance was launched last year on the sidelines of the WEF Annual Meeting 2024, which she had attended.
Irani stressed the actions needed for economic empowerment of women, and said, "When women are empowered, the potential for innovation, resilience and progress gets unlocked".
She further said that by working together, the collaboration can take a powerful step forward towards achieving gender equality, advancing the digital economy and fostering sustainable development.
Talking about the collaboration, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said the partnership is rooted in our shared vision of empowering women and girls across the 56 Commonwealth nations through education, skills development and economic inclusion.
"A key focus will be on entrepreneurship," she added, stating that through the partnership, the Alliance's 100K initiative will be further strengthened and taken to all the member countries.
Underlining the issues around access to quality education, she further shared that together the collaboration will look to expand AI and digital literacy programmes, ensuring women and girls are equipped with the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow.
"By providing access to technology and innovative learning platforms, we will seek to bridge the digital divide and create pathways for women to take leadership roles in AI and the digital economy," she added.
Congratulating the Alliance for Global Good and the Commonwealth Secretariat, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said that as economies transition towards more digital, technology-driven industries, it is crucial that women are equipped with the skills required to participate in emerging sectors.
"Women's access to education in AI, digital literacy, STEM, and entrepreneurship can close gender gaps in future labour markets and create new opportunities for innovation and economic growth," he added.
Anchored in the CII Centre for Women Leadership, supported by the Gates Foundation and with the World Economic Forum as its network partner, the Alliance focuses on three core pillars of health, women's enterprise, and education and skilling.
The Alliance, in partnership with the Women Collective Forum, has designed the 100K initiative, which aims to engage and equip 1,00,000 women - corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals across India.
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The Alliance was launched last year on the sidelines of the WEF Annual Meeting 2024, which she had attended.
Irani stressed the actions needed for economic empowerment of women, and said, "When women are empowered, the potential for innovation, resilience and progress gets unlocked".
She further said that by working together, the collaboration can take a powerful step forward towards achieving gender equality, advancing the digital economy and fostering sustainable development.
Talking about the collaboration, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said the partnership is rooted in our shared vision of empowering women and girls across the 56 Commonwealth nations through education, skills development and economic inclusion.
"A key focus will be on entrepreneurship," she added, stating that through the partnership, the Alliance's 100K initiative will be further strengthened and taken to all the member countries.
Underlining the issues around access to quality education, she further shared that together the collaboration will look to expand AI and digital literacy programmes, ensuring women and girls are equipped with the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow.
"By providing access to technology and innovative learning platforms, we will seek to bridge the digital divide and create pathways for women to take leadership roles in AI and the digital economy," she added.
Congratulating the Alliance for Global Good and the Commonwealth Secretariat, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said that as economies transition towards more digital, technology-driven industries, it is crucial that women are equipped with the skills required to participate in emerging sectors.
"Women's access to education in AI, digital literacy, STEM, and entrepreneurship can close gender gaps in future labour markets and create new opportunities for innovation and economic growth," he added.
Anchored in the CII Centre for Women Leadership, supported by the Gates Foundation and with the World Economic Forum as its network partner, the Alliance focuses on three core pillars of health, women's enterprise, and education and skilling.
The Alliance, in partnership with the Women Collective Forum, has designed the 100K initiative, which aims to engage and equip 1,00,000 women - corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals across India.
