InfoPoint Virtual Conference via Webex Meetings: "Empowering Women in ACP Countries through Business Environment Reform"

Learnings from the Investment Climate Reform Facility

Gender-sensitive reform of the complex policy, legal, institutional, and regulatory conditions that govern business activities has the potential to empower women, support the fight against poverty and contribute to business and macro-economic performance. It is therefore not only a moral imperative but makes good business sense.

The ICR Facility provides fully funded, tailor made technical expertise to public and private organisations in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to create a more conducive, sustainable and inclusive business environment and investment climate. This session will present the ICR Facility's reports on Business Environment Reform (BER) for Women's Economic Empowerment(link is external), unpacking how reforming the Business Environment can support women owned businesses and promote equal opportunities for women in the labour market. It also highlights how women’s organisations' participation in Public Private Dialogues is a game changer for inclusive economies. Insights from a survey carried out by the ICR Facility on trends in gender finance in ACP Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) will be shared as well. Then we will pass the floor to George Khaki, Executive Director of the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (ECAM). He will speak about their ambition to put in place national strategy that will facilitate gender equality in the workplace. The ICR Facility is supporting this goal by conducting a GenderAudit to enable evidence-based decision-making.

The ICR Facility is co-funded by the European Union, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the British Council. The ICR Facility is implemented by GIZ, the British Council, Expertise France, and SNV. Project website for more information: www.icr-facility.eu(link is external)

Speakers

Cecile Billaux

Head of Unit E2, Micro-economic Analysis, Investment Climate, Private Sector, Trade and Employment

Irene Danquah

Technical Advisor, Investment Climate Reform Facility

George Khaki

Executive Director, Employers’ Consultative Association of Malawi

Escipion Joaquin Oliveira Gomez

Assistant Secretary General, Sustainable Economic Transformation and Trade, OACPS