* PPWE (established in 2011): One of the policy partnerships under APEC’s Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (CETC), aimed at promoting equal participation of women in member economies and providing policy and practical advice to senior officials while discussing cooperation directions.
The PPWE is a working-level meeting to explore women- and gender-related policy agendas and cooperation strategies within the Asia-Pacific region. Over 100 participants, including representatives from APEC’s 21 member economies and policy experts, are expected to attend and exchange a wide range of views.
The 2025 APEC women’s economic agenda will focus on the theme “Expanding Women’s Economic Participation for Sustainable Growth,” with discussions centered on three pillars: Connect, Innovate, and Prosper.
·(Connect) Strengthening global responses to create a safer society free from gender-based violence, ·(Innovate) Enhancing women’s capabilities and promoting their participation in digital and AI sectors, ·(Prosper) Restructuring care systems in response to demographic changes for a sustainable future
The meeting, chaired by Kim Ki-nam, Director General of the Planning and Coordination Office at MOGEF and co-chair of the PPWE*, will be structured around the above themes and priorities. Key events and discussion topics include:
* Chair: Chile; Co-Chair: Korea
Day 1 (May 3, Sat.): Presentations on the 2025 APEC women’s economic agenda and priority areas, followed by updates on ongoing PPWE projects. Prior to the main discussions, Sara Duerto Valero, Regional Advisor of UN Women Asia Pacific, will present statistics on the status of women and girls in the Asia-Pacific region under the theme “Women and Girls in the Asia-Pacific Region.”
In the afternoon, sessions will be held on ·“Women’s Participation in Global Value Chains” and ·“Preventing Violence against Women for Sustainable Growth.” The Korean delegation will present measures developed in 2024 in cooperation with relevant ministries to address deepfake sex crimes, including strengthened penalties and investigative regulations, and international cybercrime cooperation agreements with partners such as the Australian police.
Day 2 (May 4, Sun.): Discussions will cover ·”Integrating the Needs and Perspectives of Women into Economic Policies”; ·”Policies for Environmental Challenges: A Catalyst for Economic Growth”; ·”Expert Dialogue on Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and AI for Economic Development”; and ·”Women’s Leadership in Business & Decision-Making: Sustainable Businesses.”
The Korean delegation will introduce gender mainstreaming policies aimed at establishing a foundation for gender-balanced policymaking, such as gender impact assessments, gender-responsive budgeting, and gender statistics.
They will also share efforts to promote women’s participation and capacity-building in STEM and AI fields, including high-value job training programs (e.g., IT and bio) offered through the Women’s Reemployment Centers, STEM outreach programs for female students in primary and secondary schools, and flexible work arrangements for scientists and engineers with young children to prevent career disruption.
Day 3 (May 5, Mon): Discussions will conclude with sessions on ·”Women’s Health and Its Impact on Economic Growth”; ·”The Role of Young Women in Driving Economic Development”; and ·”Care Economy and Work-life Balance in the Context of Low Fertility and Aging Populations.”
The Korean delegation will introduce the Parental Allowance system to compensate income lost due to childbirth and childcare, and the I-Dolbom Babysitting Program aimed to reduce the burden on dual-income families and address gaps in institutional care.
Most notably, the delegation will also present the new Advance Child Support Payment System for Single-Parent Families (to be implemented in July), under which the government provides child support on behalf of non-custodial parents and later recovers the amount from them.
Additionally, Korea will share outcomes and experiences from policies such as the Family-Friendly Certification Program, which offers incentives to businesses promoting work-family balance through childbirth and childcare support and flexible work arrangements.
Meanwhile, MOGEF will host the 2nd PPWE meeting (PPWE2) on August 10 (Sun.) to 11 (Mon.) in Incheon, to engage in in-depth discussions with policy experts from the 21 member economies on Korea’s key priority areas.
Furthermore, building on the regional gender policy trends and discussion outcomes shared among APEC members this year, the ministerial-level Women and the Economy Forum (WEF) will be held on August 12 (Tue.) to facilitate high-level policy dialogue and adopt a joint declaration.
Kim Ki-nam, Director General of the Planning and Coordination Office at MOGEF, stated, “Through this meeting, we hope to share women’s policy experiences among APEC member economies and strengthen regional cooperation to promote sustainable economic development.”
He added, “We will continue discussions to identify key issues for the August Ministerial Forum, explore global and regional trends in gender equality, and strengthen collaboration with the 21 member economies to ensure the success of both the PPWE meetings and the Women and the Economy Forum.”