Call to Action for G7 Stakeholders

COVID-19 is an opportunity for G7 leaders to take bold, decisive and inclusive action to build a more resilient and more equitable future. It will not be the last pandemic or crisis we face globally, including future climate-related challenges. The G7 is a global leader and how its members respond to COVID-19 with respect to tackling inequalities and discrimination will have implications for the global community. Partnerships are critical to ensure that we do not reverse the progress we have made on gender equality and women’s rights. Along with governments, representatives from the private sector, workers’ organizations and civil society play a key role in establishing an equitable and gender-transformative labour market, now increasingly reliant on digital technology.

The WE EMPOWER G7 Programme works on women’s economic empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community. As part of this programme, the European Union, UN Women and the International Labour Organization (ILO) convened Ministers, CEOs and representatives of business associations, trade unions, civil society and academia alongside the OECD at a virtual High-Level Roundtable (HLRT), “Gender Equality and COVID-19 Crisis Response and Recovery: The G7’s Role,” on 12 May 2020.