APEC Women and the Economy Forum to Be Held in Korea for the First Time on August 12

- Ministerial delegations from 21 member economies to discuss women’s economic participation and global cooperation

- High-level policy dialogue to be held on “Promoting Women’s Economic Participation for Sustainable Growth”

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will host the “2025 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Women and the Economy Forum (WEF)” on Tuesday, August 12, at Songdo Convensia in Incheon.

- This event is especially meaningful in that the Republic of Korea will hold the ministerial-level forum on women and the economy for the first time as the host of the 2025 APEC.

- The APEC Women and the Economy Forum will bring together leaders responsible for women’s policy from the 21 APEC member economies to share policies and practices aimed at advancing women’s economic empowerment and gender equality and discuss international cooperation. The forum has been held annually since its official launch in 2011.

This year, the forum will be held under the theme of “Promoting Women’s Economic Participation for Sustainable Growth,” in line with the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting’s priorities of “Connect, Innovate, Prosper.” 

The forums’ key priority areas include:

* (Connectivity) Strengthening global responses for a safe society free from gender-based violence 

* (Innovation) Promoting women’s empowerment and economic participation in the digital and AI sectors 

* (Prosperity) Enhancing care systems in response to demographic shifts to create a sustainable future

- The Forum will be chaired by Shin Young-sook, Vice Minister and Acting Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and will be attended by approximately 120 participants, including ministerial-level delegates from APEC member economies, including Japan and Indonesia.

In the morning session on the 12th, the Public–Private Dialogue on Women and the Economy (PPDWE) will bring together experts from academia, civil society, and the private sector to discuss global challenges in promoting women’s economic participation.

- In the afternoon, the High-level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy (HLPDWE) will be held, where senior representatives from each member economy will present policy outcomes and strategic plans for the 2025 WEF priority areas.

* PPDWE: Public–Private Dialogue on Women and the Economy

** HLPDWE: High-level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy

The first session of the PPDWE, chaired by Asa Torkelsson, UNFPA Chief of the Seoul Representation Office, will focus on “Strengthening Care Systems and Promoting Work–Life Balance in Response to Demographic Shifts.” Discussions will address public–private cooperation to promote work–life balance, enhancing the value of paid and unpaid care work, and expanding access to care through digital technologies.

- The second session, chaired by Heo Geum-joo, Chair of the Korean chapter of the International Women’s Forum (IWF), will explore the topic “Promoting women’s wconomic participation in response to the advancement of digital technologies and artificial Intelligence (AI).” Presentations will highlight concrete policies and practices related to increasing women’s participation in a rapidly changing digital environment, closing the gender gap, and creating a safer digital environment.

During the HLPDWE meeting, ministerial delegates from member economies will present strategies to promote women’s economic participation in the context of demographic shifts and digital transformation.

- At this session, Korea will introduce vocational training programs provided by the Saeil Center, which supports women’s entry into high-tech fields. In addition, Korea will present key initiatives aimed at addressing care service gaps in the face of its low fertility rate and aging population, including a public childcare service, a national certification system for childcare providers, and a registration system for private care institutions.

- Korea will also share with the international community its representative policies to provide support for victims of gender-based violence. They include strengthened legal measures, such as stricter penalties for gender-based violence, and 24/7 victim support services and the expansion of digital sex crime response centers.

Ahead of the Forum, the Second Meeting of the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWEII) was held on August 9 (Saturday) and 10 (Sunday) with working-level delegates from each member economy. The meeting helped enhance understanding and support for key agenda items among member economies, laying the foundation for discussions of the APEC WEF.

* PPWE: Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy

- On August 11, APEC-funded projects, independently hosted by Australia and China, will also take place. Australia will lead a hybrid workshop under the topic of “Empowering Women and Businesses to Have Safe Online Workplaces.” China will host a roundtable dialogue on the theme of “APEC Her Power for a Sustainable Future,” bringing together policymakers from member economies as well as representatives from academia and civil society. 

- In the evening, the “APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economy (HWHE) Research Prize” will be awarded. Since 2019, this HWHE prize has been jointly organized by APEC and Merck to recognize outstanding researchers and research teams that demonstrate the connection between women’s health and economic growth.

* APEC HWHE (Healthy Women, Healthy Economy) Research Prize: A research award established in 2019 based on the HWHE initiative launched in 2014

Vice Minister Shin emphasized, “This year’s APEC Women and the Economy Forum is especially meaningful in that this is the first time for Korea to host the ministerial forum on women and the economy that has provided a valuable platform for both the public and private sectors to engage in practical policy discussions on women’s empowerment and economic participation.” 

- She added, “We will continue to pursue policy development and international cooperation to proactively address the rapid changes in the policy environment faced by APEC economies, including declining birth rates, aging populations, and the digital and AI transformation.”