Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress International Women’s Day 2024

Thank you for the opportunity to join you today.

While we are here to celebrate, we continue to see global backsliding in gender equality. At the national level, all of here have a pivotal role  to pushback against this. This will also be the main theme at next weeks sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

The world is at a crucial crossroad for gender equality. With increasing conflicts, climate change and polarizing societies, standing up for women’s rights is more important than ever.

 Our economic systems are failing women. 

In Moldova, 42% prime working age women are in the labour force versus 51% of men. Women in Moldova are overrepresented in-service sectors, education, and public positions, where salaries are lower, while they are underrepresented in sectors with higher earning potential, such as technology and finance.

Women are more likely to work part time and take breaks from their careers to care for children or elderly family members. This often lead to women being concentrated in lower-paying industries and position.

This has a clear effect through the gender pay gap, in 2022, Moldovan women earned on average 13.6% less than men. In the IT sector, women earned 42.8% less than their male counterparts. Evidence shows that closing gender pay gaps could boost GDP per capita by 20%.

I think that we would all agree that investing in women benefits women and society as a whole. Reversing gender inequality requires financial resources. 

Investing in care services, such as the provision of day care does have valuable impacts on women’s economic empowerment. Not only does it reduce unpaid care work, largely carried out by women, but it also creates decent work opportunities with the potential to create jobs. Investments in care will also free up much needed time for women to engage in activities of their choice including economic activities, education, or leisure. I would like to commend the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection for this being one of the four pillars of their reform.

Recognizing women’s rights as an investment issue is critical for creating transformative solutions that enable women to realize their rights, escape the cycle of poverty, and truly thrive. Investing in women is a cornerstone for building inclusive societies. Progress for women benefits us all. 

The United Nations remains steadfast in our commitment to continue working hand in hand with governments, civil society, and the private sector to advance gender equality and poverty eradication, in the context of CSW68 and beyond. Together, we have the power to build a future where every individual, regardless of gender, can thrive and fulfill their potential.