NEW YORK, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Nations Global Compact, in partnership with UN Women and the Champions of Change Coalition, today concluded a high-level Business Leadership Dialogue, convened on the margins of the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69). The gathering united over 50 business leaders, policy experts and change-makers to accelerate private-sector commitments toward women's economic empowerment by 2030.
The event marked three significant anniversaries for global gender equality efforts:
Despite decades of progress, on average, women are paid about 20 per cent less than men, according to the International Labour Organization leading to significant lifetime income inequality. At the current rate it will take 134 years to close the global gender gap. Yet companies with diverse leadership teams are 25% more likely to outperform their peers.
During the dialogue, participants examined how businesses can apply a gender lens across the value chain by creating gender-responsive supply chains and directing capital to women-owned businesses, engage male allies and advocate for policy enablers to bridge persistent gender gaps worldwide. Conversations focused on:
"Accelerating women's full participation is not just a moral imperative, it's an economic one," said Melissa Powell, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. "As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and 25 years of the UN Global Compact, we have never been closer to a true tipping point. By investing in women-led enterprises, championing male allyship, and building equitable supply chains, businesses can lead the charge on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030."
Following the dialogue, attendees participated in roundtable discussions and committed to sharing key insights across their networks. Companies are encouraged to join or deepen their engagement with the Forward Faster initiative and the WEPs, setting measurable targets to close leadership and pay gaps, and to implement policies that champion inclusivity at every level.
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