Good Business Forum 2024: Making Work Work For Women
In the last decade, had women played an identical role in the labor markets to that of men, $28 trillion could have been added to the global annual GDP by now. This impact is roughly equivalent to the size of the combined Chinese and US economies today. But we are far from realizing this parity because worldwide, only 50% of women of working age get paid for their work compared to almost 80% for men.
We certainly don’t lack good intentions.
We have seen efforts spanning across philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, and business policies for women's empowerment. The private sector has helmed many initiatives dedicated to enhancing the skills of women and shifting societal norms to facilitate their active participation in the laborforce. From an academic perspective, we have written tomes about the barriers preventing women from joining the workforce.
We have covered many perspectives but seldom addressed the elephant in the room, the work itself. Can workplaces be redesigned with care to accommodate women’s diverse needs? Can such innovations realize women’s full potential, ushering businesses into a new era?
Good Business Lab is collaborating with the 21st Century India Center at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy to host a confluence of thought leaders, businesses, and funders dedicated to transforming the conditions of work. Join us for an event, unlike any other, where businesses, funders, and academics get together to explore a new impact model that transforms the landscape of Women’s Labor Force Participation (WLFP). In this dynamic, day-long salon-style event, thought leaders will share insights on advanced workplace strategies and we will feature learnings from our projects funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Overall, we will explore emerging economic research that looks at the intricate balance between evolving social norms and entrenched economic structures. Our mission is to pinpoint challenges, spotlight success stories, and catalyze actionable change required to make work work for women.