- Title: Kerry and APEC leaders double down on female empowerment
- Date: 18th November 2016
- Summary: LIMA, PERU (NOVEMBER 18, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ATTENDEES AT BREAKFAST CELEBRATING FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF APEC'S SAN FRANCISCO DECLARATION FOR EMPOWERING WOMEN FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH BREAKFAST ATTENDEES POSING FOR PHOTO (SOUNBDITE) (Spanish) SECOND PERUVIAN VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF GOVERNMENT COMMISSION ON APEC, MERCEDES ARAOZ, SAYING: "So the women participation is very low, very, very low. And that's something that we have to work (on). We have to promote the leadership of women in the local communities. We have to work strongly - they are leaders, as a matter of fact. Probably most of you that have programmes in local communities will see that artisan women are the leaders in the little town and they are working very hard. Some women in the rural areas that are in the farms are leaders, but usually they don't put themselves up front. And that's point, we have to start working with them to be up front. And having the right positions, believing in themselves, breaking the glass ceiling. This needs a lot of work. Of course the law could be part of the issue. But it's not necessarily the law. It's something we have to build through education, through real promotion, and also mentoring of women in politics." ARAOZ TAKING SEAT U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY, TAKING SEAT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ECONOMIC LEADER OF CHINESE TAIPEI, DR. JAMES C.Y. SOONG, SPEAKING AT LECTERN (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ECONOMIC LEADER OF CHINESE TAIPEI, DR. JAMES C.Y. SOONG, SAYING: "Chinese Taipei has made significant progress in enhancing women's engagement in the decision-making progress in both the political and economic fields." GENERAL OF AUDIENCE AT BREAKFAST KERRY AT LECTERN SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY, SAYING: "Competition drives a more efficient economy, it drives effectiveness, but it will never be effective if we leave in place those barriers those that keep preventing people as a matter of sort of social stigma, or culture, or tradition. And some of the toughest places in the world with respect to this, I am not going to start naming locations and countries, I think you know what I mean, where there are real quasi-religious and certainly cultural barriers to this, increasingly the leadership of those countries are coming to realize, they have to open up, they have to be more flexible, they have to transition, and they have to diversify… And so, am I supposed to speak to the rhythm? I am happy to do that guys. I mean, I'll go further, but I won't do it here. But the fact is participation by women traditionally always increases productivity in a country, it's good for morale, it's good for the bottom line." KERRY TAKING SEAT KERRY POSING FOR PHOTO WITH WOMEN LEADERS
- Embargoed: 3rd December 2016 16:07
- Keywords: John Kerry Mercedes Araoz APEC San Francisco female empowerment
- Location: LIMA, PERU
- City: LIMA, PERU
- Country: Peru
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00158Z39ZB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Fresh off meeting with his Russian counterpart to discuss Syria and the Middle East, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attended in Lima Friday (November 18) a breakfast the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC Summit) focused on the empowerment of women.
The top American diplomat obliquely rebuked closed societies in a message that was supported by leaders of the summit host, Peru, and other officials. Kerry also shared some dance moves while speaking.
The morning event was organised to mark the fifth anniversary of a declaration at an APEC summit in San Francisco to promote female empowerment. The 2011 statement was spearheaded by then U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
Currently, in the 21 APEC economies, approximately 600 million women are in the labor force, with over 60 percent engaged in the formal sector.
A recent United Nations report states that limits on women's participation in the workforce across the Asia-Pacific region cost the economy an estimated US $89 billion every year.
And for Peru's second vice president, Mercedes Araoz, who is presiding over the Peruvian government's secretariat on APEC, the untapped potential has its roots in local cultures.
"So the women participation is very low, very, very low. And that's something that we have to work (on). We have to promote the leadership of women in the local communities. We have to work strongly - they are leaders, as a matter of fact. Probably most of you that have programmes in local communities will see that artisan women are the leaders in the little town and they are working very hard. Some women in the rural areas that are in the farms are leaders, but usually they don't put themselves up front. And that's point, we have to start working with them to be up front. And having the right positions, believing in themselves, breaking the glass ceiling. This needs a lot of work. Of course the law could be part of the issue. But it's not necessarily the law. It's something we have to build through education, through real promotion, and also mentoring of women in politics," she said.
Other leaders spoke of their commitment to improve the landscape.
"Chinese Taipei has made significant progress in enhancing women's engagement in the decision-making progress in both the political and economic fields," said Dr. James C.Y. Soong, the representative of the economic leader of Chinese Taipei.
Kerry alluded to the harm caused by repressive societies.
"Competition drives a more efficient economy, it drives effectiveness, but it will never be effective if we leave in place those barriers those that keep preventing people as a matter of sort of social stigma, or culture, or tradition. And some of the toughest places in the world with respect to this, I am not going to start naming locations and countries, I think you know what I mean, where there are real quasi-religious and certainly cultural barriers to this, increasingly the leadership of those countries are coming to realize, they have to open up, they have to be more flexible, they have to transition, and they have to diversify… And so, am I supposed to speak to the rhythm? I am happy to do that guys. I mean, I'll go further, but I won't do it here. But the fact is participation by women traditionally always increases productivity in a country, it's good for morale, it's good for the bottom line," he said while breaking into a shimmy, after being interrupted by ambient music.
Leaders of Pacific rim nations began gathering in Peru on Friday seeking to salvage hopes for regional trade as prospects of a Donald Trump presidency sounded a possible death knell for the U.S-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact.
Discussions between the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will be dominated by fears of rising anti-globalization sentiment in the West, where many worry about losing jobs to low-wage economies, and China's burgeoning role in global trade. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None