During the 05 and 06 June 2024, the ICR4WEE Conference welcomed over 140 participants, inclusive of attendees from 36 ACP countries, in Kigali, Rwanda. This ICReport provides a comprehensive overview of the Conference, and reflects upon the critical topics examined throughout the two days of interactive panel discussion and debate, including:
- Gender-sensitive industrial policies
- The impact of unpaid care work on women’s economic choices and autonomy
- Access to finance for women entrepreneurs, gender-lens investing
- Gender-based violence in the workplace
“Women’s economic empowerment is key for making progress towards
a socially just and environmentally friendly society. It leads to less poverty, less hunger, and more stability. Locally and globally. […] Our shared goal is that societies will no longer waste the potential of half of their population. Let’s make the vision a reality.”
"It was a pleasure seeing so many
participants from all Africa, Caribbean and the
Pacific join us in Rwanda to engage in interesting
discussions on how to move forward the gender
agenda in business environment reform processes. […] (The Conference) also showed how, when working under a team Europe, we can achieve great results and really support private and public actors from partner countries move the agenda forward to create sustainable and inclusive growth."
"The experience was truly inspiring and
life changing - starting with being able to
visit Kigali, being exposed to 36 nationalities
and being able to learn more about how to
strengthen women economic empowerment for
the target group I work with in Jamaica. Also, the
wealth of knowledge and good practices shared
was so beneficial. I am now back in Jamaica
and charged and ready to go."
“One of my key takeaways from this conference is that women’s empowerment is very vital for economic development. And for us to empower women, the three “Rs” are very important: The rights of women, resources, and the representation of women in every economic policy that the government makes. Women’s empowerment is crucial to have a more inclusive society.”
