Women Leaders’ Forum: Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change

To mark International Women’s Day 2019, UN Women will partner with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement, Government of Myanmar, to organize the first Women Leaders’ Forum: Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change on 8th March 2019 at Naypyidaw.

The Forum will bring together over 500 participants including from government, development partners, market actors, business leaders and associations, women entrepreneurs, academia, and CSOs, to focus on women’s economic empowerment (WEE) and social protection, its progress and challenges, and new ways to advance WEE. It will include a panel discussion on WEE and social protection with key experts; a fair with over 100 booths that will provide a platform for women in business, government, market actors, and CSOs to connect and showcase innovative practices and business products around WEE, and financial inclusion; and instructional breakout sessions on topics including access to micro-credit, women’s collective advocacy, and skills-building workshops.

The Women Leaders’ Forum is an important step towards bringing together policy makers, government, women entrepreneurs, financial institutions and market actors, and civil society to create synergies and networks to promote WEE and social protection and to support the implementation of SDG5 as well as the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan 2018 – 2030, the National Social Protection Strategic Plan and the National Strategic Plan on the Advancement of Women 2013-2022 in compliance with CEDAW.