Women’s contribution to global economic growth has been described as not simply that of beneficiaries as erroneously believed, but leading agents in Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The assertion was made by the Managing Director of the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics base (LADOL), Dr. Amy Jadesimi, in a speech she delivered at the just concluded United Nations General Assembly, which held in New York, USA.
Jadesimi, who is a member of the 31 International Commissioners, spoke on behalf of the Business and Sustainable Development Commission, which is chaired by Lord Mark Malloch-Brown and cofounded by the CEO of Unilever, Paul Polman.
The International Commissioners’ forum was sequel to the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment report released on 22 September 2016 at the launch event, and which Ban Ki Moon personally attended.
In her speech titled, “Women are driving the global economy”, Jadesimi, whose Commission consists of one-third women membership, said if the world commits itself to gender equality in all spheres to bring about equal engagement in global workforce, global Gross Domestic Products (GDP) would grow by about $28 trillion US dollars by the year 2025.
She said, “The commission’s work will help high growth; low income countries achieve the SDGs by catalysing the empowerment of, and the investment in, critical and currently marginalised groups, such as local private sector companies and women.
“Women are drivers of the global economy and they are critical to leading the shift to an inclusive and sustainable world.”
Describing the mission and vision of the Business and Sustainable Development Commission as being similar to those of her USD500million company, LADOL, Jadesimi noted that “just as LADOL has positively disrupted the oil and gas and maritime sectors, the BSDC seeks to support and drive disruptive innovations that (are) breaking new ground and transforming business models in health, education, mobility, agriculture and energy”.
Such business models, according to her, “are challenging the status quo of established industries—from fossil fuels to fashion”.
“The work of the Commission is all the more important given the threats of social and environmental externalities,” she said.
The LADOL boss urged the private sector to immediately accelerate inclusive growth and drive sustainability at a far greater speed and scale than ever before.
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