Jakarta, 11 March 2022. The commitment to ensure the fulfilment of indicators in supporting women's empowerment in the private and public sectors is the main agenda of the Group of Twenty (G20) EMPOWER Indonesian presidency this year. G20 EMPOWER is the only initiative in the G20 presidency that brings together an alliance of private sector and government leaders to jointly advocate and support the advancement of women in leadership positions in the private and public sectors. The Ministry of PPPA together with XL Axiata and IWAPI are the focal points in promoting the importance of women's leadership in the business world through the G20 EMPOWER. Through this alliance, Indonesia wants to promote good practices from companies and the government in promoting women's leadership. Indonesia also has advocates from the private sector involved in promoting gender-based leadership roles in companies.
This effort is contained in three priority issues carried out by G20 EMPOWER. First, increasing corporate accountability in achieving Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to enhance the role of women. Second, encourage the role of women's Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises as an economic driver. Third, build and improve women's resilience and digital skills.
Acting Deputy for Community Participation of the Ministry of PPPA, Indra Gunawan, stated that G20 EMPOWER is an effort to realize women's representation at the decision-making level, both in the private and public sectors. This is in line with one of the focuses of the Ministry of PPPA, which is to encourage the empowerment of women business actors to continue to play an active role, including being partners with the Ministry of PPPA.
Indra added, “With the representation of women in decision making and taking sides with company policies, it is hoped that the position and role of women can be further protected and facilitated. Efforts to increase women's empowerment and women's representation can also be further enhanced by collaboration between the government and the private sector. In addition, we will also collaborate with female actors and business promoters to be involved in this initiation, which will be part of the G20 EMPOWER advocate."
Meanwhile, Yessie D. Yosetya as Chair of G20 EMPOWER opened this meeting by saying, “Until now, we are faced with so many situations and paradigms that are disproportionate to women, both in the private and public sectors themselves. Globally, there is an increase every year for women's representation at the level of decision makers in the private and public sectors, but it is not enough to empower women themselves. For this reason, we need indicators, planning, and measurable activities that can accelerate the success of women's empowerment.”
The five KPI indicators that have been set in the G20 EMPOWER are the equal distribution of roles between men and women in the world of work at all levels, the percentage of women who are promoted in certain positions, the total pay gap (gender pay-gap), the percentage women in the company's Board of Directors, and the percentage of women related to technical work (especially in STEM issues and male dominated industries). These five indicators are targeted to be achieved 100% in all G20 member countries by 2025.
G20 EMPOWER 2022 under the Indonesian presidency will focus on the implementation of predetermined indicators. What are the forms of measurement, achievement, and reporting of the established KPIs. The implementation of G20 EMPOWER creates a baseline set of measurable data from G20 member countries, on women's empowerment. It is hoped that this baseline data will bring awareness to the condition of women's empowerment in both the private and public sectors, as well as encourage the acceleration of progress on gender equality, explained Yessie further.
Rinawati Prihatiningsih as Co-Chair of G20 EMPOWER explained that in line with the direction of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, G20 activities were not limited to ceremonial events. For this reason, G20 EMPOWER opens opportunities for every stakeholder to work together in synergy to encourage real action and make breakthroughs according to the vision of G20 EMPOWER.
“G20 EMPOWER activities in 2022 consist of three special negotiations or plenaries for the G20 delegates. Beginning with the Initial Meeting in January. Then, there were four co-chair meetings; four times side events for the public and stakeholders consisting of the Program to Create Safer Workplaces, The Role of Women in SMEs in Economic Revitalization, Rebuilding Women's Productivity after the Pandemic; CEO Forum; three times capacity building for G20 EMPOWER advocates and POC; two SME bazaars and a fieldtrip; eight webinars, before the handover of the G20 Indonesian Chair to India in November," she said.
All recommendations generated from the G20 EMPOWER are expected to result in the best implementation being enforced in the private and public sectors. Furthermore, it will make it easier for G20 member countries to monitor the implementation of these KPIs and encourage acceleration of target achievement so that more women have strategic roles as decision makers.
First Plenary of G20 EMPOWER
On the same day, the G20 EMPOWER Indonesian Presidency held its first online plenary meeting on Friday night, (11/3). Present to give presentations, Dipali Goenka as CEO of Welspun Ltd India, Yves Paredel as Senior Statistician, Statisctics Department, International Labor Organization (ILO), and Lenita Tobing as Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group.
At this first plenary meeting, three points will be discussed, namely, first, a number of practices, lessons learned, level of acceptance up to the challenges experienced in the implementation of KPI indicators. Second, determine and agree on future implementation to achieve the predetermined target in 2025. Third, identify the form of support needed from the government and other stakeholders, to realize the achievement of the KPIs that have been set together.
The agenda for the next G20 EMPOWER plenary meeting will be held in stages in May 2022 for the second plenary agenda, and in July 2022 for the third plenary agenda. The implementation is in collaboration with International Knowledge Partners, UN agencies, civil society organizations, academia, government agencies and the private sector.