Women a Reality
Melody Lopez
Director and Chief of Staff
Crayon Software Experts India
International Women’s Day serves as a poignant reminder that the path to global progress must
actively include and invest in women. Under the resonating theme, ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women.
Accelerate Progress,’ we underscore the imperative to empower women economically. Economic
inclusion of women is not merely a social aspiration; it is an economic imperative that propels
nations towards prosperity. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report
2022, where 1 refers to parity between men and women, Indian women scored 0.961 in
educational attainment, but the score plummeted to 0.350 for economic participation and
opportunity. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), it will take 217 years to close the
global gender gap in economic participation and opportunity at the current rate of progress. The
WEF’s 2023 global gender gap score is 68.4%, which is a 0.3% increase from the previous year. The
WEF also estimates that it will take over 100 years to close the global gender pay gap. These
numbers indicate how far ahead the world needs to move to get women as active economic
participants. Unless women are actively allowed to participate and contribute to the economy the
world will never reach its optimum potential to achieve stability.
Investing in women means recognizing and unlocking the vast potential that resides in half of the
world’s population. By providing equal opportunities in education, entrepreneurship, and the
workforce, we amplify the voices of women, fostering innovation and resilience. Economic
empowerment of women catalyzes a ripple effect, transforming families, communities, and entire
societies. By dismantling barriers and biases, we pave the way for a future where women can
contribute their talents uninhibited, driving progress for all. On this International Women’s Day, let
us commit to investing in the economic potential of every woman. Let us celebrate not just the
achievements of women, but also the untapped possibilities that await when we truly count her
in—forging a world where women’s economic inclusion is not just a goal but a reality, accelerating
progress for the benefit of all.
