The Issues

The world's economic health depends on women's economic success. All evidence shows that greater economic, educational and political participation by women leads to enduring social benefits: through lower fertility, infant mortality, decline in poverty etc. As Unicef states: "Gender equality will not only empower women to overcome poverty and live full and productive lives, but will better the lives of children, families and countries as well."

Across the world, women are moving into unprecedented positions of power and influence. In 2006, Nancy Pelosi was the first woman to be elected speaker of the United States House of Representatives; Indra Nooyi became the first woman CEO of $32bn food and drinks giant, Pepsi; the richest businessperson in China is now a woman - Zhang Yin, the paper recycling entrepreneur; in countries as diverse as Germany, Georgia, Israel, Chile and Liberia, women hold presidential and chancellor positions - in the latter case, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is Africa's first elected woman president. And within the next few months, the US may even have its first woman president, Hillary Clinton.

At the same time, according to the Global Gender Gap Report:

. No country in the world can claim equality between women and men in economic participation, education, health and political empowerment - even though women account for 40 per cent of the world's economically active population. In many parts of the world, opportunities such engagement are actually receding (1).

. Shockingly, the gender pay gap in London, UK, one of the world's great capital cities, has widened markedly since the early nineties(2).

. The UK now has one of the lowest proportions of entrepreneurial women in the developed world (3).

References:

1- World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2006
2- Women in London's Economy, GLA Economics
3- Business Priorities for Women's Enterprise in London, November 2005, London Development Agency