On the initiative of Japan, the "APEC Leadership Forum on Women: Powerhouse for Economic Growth" will be held from March 8 to 9. This forum is the first international conference focusing on the impact of women's leadership on economic growth and company competitiveness improvement within the framework of APEC. Delegations from governments of APEC economies, female CEOs/entrepreneurs and researchers will meet together to focus their wisdom to discussion on new strategies so that women can exercise their leadership and drive economic growth. The results of the forum will be reported at the Second APEC Women and the Economy Summit in June and discussed at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and Ministerial Meeting in September.

1. It is expected that diversity or women's activity in particular within enterprises will be the powerhouse of their competitiveness and economic growth. APEC had the first Women and the Economy Summit; a ministerial meeting held with public-private cooperation in San Francisco, U.S. in September last year and formulated the "San Francisco Declaration on Women and the Economy".
2. As the first step of specific approaches to the issues designated in the declaration, the "APEC Leadership Forum on Women: Powerhouse for Economic Growth" will be held from March 8 to 9 on the initiative of Japan.
3. This forum is the first international conference focusing on the impact of women's leadership on economic growth and improvement of company competitiveness within the framework of APEC. Government delegations from APEC's 21 economies, female CEOs/entrepreneurs and researchers will meet together to focus their wisdom to discussion on new strategies so that women can exercise their leadership and drive economic growth.
4. The results of the forum will be reported at the Second APEC Women and the Economy Summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia in June and discussed at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and Ministerial Meeting in Vladivostok in September.

Date:

March 8 (Thursday) and March 9 (Friday), 2012

Venue:

Pacifico Yokohama (Yokohama City, Kanagawa)

Organizer:

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Cabinet Office and City of Yokohama
*Held as an official meeting of APEC

Participants:

 about 300 people
1) Government delegations from APEC's 21 member economies
2) Female CEOs/entrepreneurs active in the Asia-Pacific region
3) Researchers on diversity promotion and economic growth
4) Young business people and university students who may be future leaders in the Asia-Pacific region

• See the attached sheet in Japanese (PDF:483KB)

* The symposium in the afternoon on March 8 only will be open and provided with simultaneous interpretation service between Japanese and English.

February 28, 2012

APEC Office, Trade Policy Bureau