Accelerating Women’s Economic Participation For Sustainable Growth

Issued by the APEC Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy
Jeju, Republic of Korea, 4 May 2025

APEC economies are accelerating collective action on long-standing structural barriers limiting women’s economic participation, ranging from inadequate care infrastructure and underrepresentation in global value chains to gender-based violence and unequal access to innovation.

Under the theme “Women’s Economic Participation for Sustainable Growth,” the first meeting of the APEC Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE) held in Jeju, Korea, from 3 to 5 May is mobilizing policymakers, experts and stakeholders to advance targeted, cross-sector strategies that embed gender equality at the heart of economic recovery and sustainable growth in the Asia-Pacific.

Opening the three-day meeting, Acting Minister of Gender Equality and Family of Korea, Shin Young-sook, underscored the importance of regional collaboration to share policies and strengthen solidarity on gender equality.

“With the goal of advancing gender equality and women's economic empowerment in the Asia Pacific region, APEC member economies established this meeting as a platform to share concrete policies and laid a foundation for stronger solidarity,” said Acting Minister Shin.

Recognizing the forum’s continued efforts over the decades, Acting Minister Shin highlighted landmark frameworks including the Framework for the Integration of Women in APEC (1999), the La Serena Roadmap for Women and Inclusive Growth (2019) and the Putrajaya Vision 2040.

“These milestones have highlighted the importance of increasing women's participation in the labor market, strengthening women's leadership and women's empowerment and collecting sex-disaggregated data.”

“APEC has also contributed to promoting women's economic empowerment through women's active participation in trade and investment, the digital economy and sustainable growth,” Acting Minister Shin added.

In line with Korea’s APEC 2025 priorities of “Connect, Innovate, Prosper”, Acting Minister Shin outlined three areas of gender-responsive action.

“Under Connect, we aim to strengthen the global response to keep our society safe from gender-based violence,” she said. “Through Innovate, we are focused on advancing women’s empowerment and economic participation in the digital and AI sectors. And under Prosper, we seek to rebuild care systems in response to demographic shifts, laying the foundation for a more sustainable future.”

In her opening remarks at the meeting, Anita Peña, the Chair of the PPWE acknowledged the group’s continued role in policy exchange and collaboration.

“Approximately 26 meetings have been held providing a robust platform for economies to exchange perspectives and collaboratively strengthen policies aimed at advancing women's economic empowerment,” she said.

Peña highlighted key focus areas of the 2025 meeting, including global value chain resilience, the care economy, resilient economies and women’s roles in science, health and environmental resilience.

She emphasized that these focus areas draw on PPWE’s deep expertise across the Asia-Pacific and benefit from strong leadership within various APEC fora.

“By fostering cross-fora collaboration through PPWE dialogues, we not only strengthen synergies across APEC, but also highlight the central role of women’s economic empowerment in shaping inclusive and resilient policy outcomes across the region,” Peña added

A policy discussion on women’s participation in global value chains explored inclusive strategies for strengthening women’s leadership and access across supply networks. Persistent gender gaps in access to trade finance, digital skills and leadership pathways continue to limit the economic potential of women-owned businesses. Cross-sector partnerships, inclusive trade policy design and stronger support mechanisms were emphasized as key enablers to boost women’s meaningful integration into global supply chains.

A second policy session explored how preventing violence against women and girls is fundamental to enabling inclusive, sustainable economic growth, especially in the digital age. Delegates examined the growing prevalence and complexity of both offline and online gender-based violence across the region

The discussion called for stronger legislation, improved data and digital safety systems, and intersectional support for vulnerable groups as essential components of a gender-inclusive policy framework.

“I sincerely hope that this meeting provides APEC members with an opportunity to explore strategies for effectively addressing the global women’s economic agenda and to engage in meaningful discussion that strengthen cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region,” concluded Acting Minister Shin.

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