1. It is expected that diversity in enterprises, especially women's activity there, will be the powerhouse of corporate competitiveness and economic growth. APEC held the Women and the Economy Summit, a ministerial meeting involving the public and private sectors, in September last year in San Francisco, in the U.S. and formulated the "San Francisco Declaration on Women and the Economy."
2. As the first action to address the issues designated in the declaration, the "APEC Leadership Forum on Women: Powerhouse for Economic Growth" was held from March 8 to 9 under the initiative of Japan. Among attendees from Japan were Mr. Yasuhiro Nakane, Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ms. Fumiko Hayashi, Mayor of Yokohama.
3. The forum was the first international conference organized within the framework of APEC to focus on the impact of women's leadership on economic growth and improvement of corporate competitiveness. The forum was attended by government delegations from APEC member economies, female business leaders/entrepreneurs and researchers, and, furthermore, young business people and university students expected to become future leaders in the Asia-Pacific region. They discussed successful examples and policies that have helped women exercise leadership and drive economic growth.
4. In the afternoon of March 8, an open symposium session took place with the attendance of about 300 people, including students and business people as future leaders in the Asia-Pacific region. The session began with remarks by the Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasuhiro Nakane, hoping that the identified problems are addressed through Asia Pacific-wide efforts. Ms. Kimberly Davis, President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi delivered keynote speeches on women's leadership. A panel discussion on "The Ways to the Top" was also held by four female business leaders active in the Asia-Pacific region invited as panelists. The event that followed was a networking reception, where a video message from Ms. Melanne Verveer, United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, was shown and participants from different parts of the Asia-Pacific region deepened exchanges.
5. As a result of discussion, participants confirmed that it is essential to positively change both corporate/organizational mindsets and individual mindsets in order to create a society where more women can act as leaders and that APEC should take action toward this goal.
6. The results of the forum will be reported at the Women and the Economy Forum, a ministerial conference scheduled from June 28 to 30, 2012 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and discussed at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and Ministerial Meeting in September in Vladivostok.

Date:

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

Venue:

Pacifico Yokohama (in Yokohama City, Kanagawa)

Organizers:

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

Participants:

About 300 people

(1) Government delegations from APEC member economies

(2) Female CEOs/entrepreneurs active in the Asia-Pacific region

(3) Researchers in diversity promotion and economic growth

(4) Young business people and university students expected to become future leaders in the Asia-Pacific region

[Greeting by Mr. Yasuhiro Nakane, Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry]	[Keynote speech by JPMorgan Chase Foundation President Kimberly Davis]	[Keynote speech by Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi]
[Open Symposium Session]	[Panel discussion by female business leaders]	[Policy discussion session among government delegations from APEC member economies]

March 12, 2012

APEC Office, Trade Policy Bureau