2017 Global Summit of Women Aims to Accelerate Women’s Ascent in the World
To celebrate women’s achievements and recognize the continuing journey in improving the economic status of women around the world, the annual Global Summit of Women was held on May 11 to 13, 2017 at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo, Japan. The theme for this year’s summit was “Beyond Womenomics: Accelerating Access”. John Clements Consultants President and CEO Carol Dominguez was one of the 1,300 top women government and business leaders from over 60 countries that gathered at the prestigious forum, a record attendance in the summit’s 27-year history.
The 3-day international conference showcased various initiatives developed across the globe to accelerate both women’s access to corporate leadership roles and strategies for growing female-owned enterprises worldwide. The summit’s distinct engagement of the three essential “legs” of change — government, business, and civil society — was reflected in this year’s delegates and partners. Notable women leaders who graced the summit were Hon. Leni Robredo, Vice President of the Philippines, H.E. Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, Vice President of Vietnam, and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Undersecretary General and Head of UN Women for the United Nations.
“If women’s economic potential is fully harnessed, their productivity will be equal to China’s and India’s economies combined,” Summit president Irene Natividad said. “So I hope here at the summit, we can help unleash that potential economic power.”
The first day of the summit kicked off with a ministerial roundtable, a presentation on doing business with Japan, and a governor’s forum with Hon. Yuriko Koike, the first female governor of Tokyo. The opening ceremony commenced afterwards, where Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was presented with this year’s Global Women’s Leadership Award in recognition for making women empowerment a major pillar of his economic growth strategy. Delegates were treated to a welcome dinner by the host country later that evening. 2017 marks the first time Japan has hosted the summit.
The second day featured a plenary session on global and regional megatrends impacting economies around the world, a male CEO forum on leading diversity from the top, and a women’s entrepreneur’s forum over lunch. Two breakout sessions were held in the afternoon: the first consisting of a leadership development track on building one’s brand and an entrepreneurial track on recovering from business setbacks, while the second session tackled accelerating women’s access to the board, tech-based enterprises for the youth, and social entrepreneurship. The Global Women’s Leadership Awards gala dinner followed.
The third and final day of the conference was comprised of a debate on redefining a balanced work-life and a discussion on best practices in equalizing the pay gap. The third and fourth parts of the breakout sessions were held that afternoon, featuring tracks on developing a global path to leadership, reaching women effectively as a market, building collaboration with men, and building east/west cultural competence. The closing ceremony and reception capped off the summit run, leaving the participants inspired and energized as they return to their respective governments, organizations, and enterprises to continue their auspicious journey towards advancement and beyond.
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About the author:
Marge Friginal-Sanchez is an editor and writer for John Clements Consultants, Inc. She was previously connected with Goodyear Philippines and the American Chamber of Commerce. Marge studied creative writing at Gotham Writers’ Workshop, New York, and is a Business Management graduate of Assumption College.
