Women have an important role in the focus of Indonesia's G20 presidency

Indonesia's presidency at the G20 carries the promise of inclusiveness and empowerment of the most vulnerable and poor, including women and girls, will be our focus in leadership at the G20

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said women have an important role in the three priority areas that Indonesia will focus on in its leadership in the Group of 20 Major Economies (G20) in 2022.

Foreign Minister Retno said this at the 'G20 Women's Empowerment Kick- Off Meeting' which was monitored from Jakarta, Wednesday. The Foreign Minister also said that the role of women in the three sectors made their empowerment even more important.

“The first is the health sector, around 70 percent of the global health workforce are women. A stronger and better health architecture will be able to ensure their health and safety, at the same time facilitating their professional growth," said the Foreign Minister.

The second sector is digital transformation, where in many countries women play a large role in the field of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). In Indonesia itself, he said, 64 percent of MSME business actors are women.

Their increasingly honed digital skills and knowledge will pave the way for them to increase their business, expand their customer base, and encourage them to become part of the global value chain.

The third sector that Indonesia will focus on in the G20 presidency is the transition to renewable energy.

"Women's wider role in the energy sector will encourage achievements in the world's energy transition and ensure that the energy sector becomes more sensitive to the needs and rights of women," said the Foreign Minister.

On the occasion, Retno also explained Indonesia's various commitments to women's empowerment and gender equality, both at the national, regional and global levels.

At the national level, he continued, the government is committed to increasing the involvement of women at the strategic and policy-making levels.

"At the regional and global levels, we are proud to promote the advancement of women's roles as agents of peace, an area that is often considered male-dominated," he explained.

Indonesia's efforts are carried out through various programs, including through providing training for women for peace and security for young diplomats, as well as launching a program of Southeast Asian women peace negotiators and mediators to boost the involvement of women in peace processes in the region.

In addition, Indonesia also used its role on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to initiate the first independent resolution for women peacekeepers.

"Indonesia's presidency at the G20 carries the promise of inclusiveness and empowerment of the most vulnerable and poor, including women and girls, which will be our focus in leadership at the G20," said the Foreign Minister.