Jakarta (ANTARA) - Improving skills is a way to develop women's empowerment and inclusion in all strategic sectors, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated during the Ministerial Conference On Women Empowerment (MCWE).

Through an official statement on Thursday, Hartarto stressed the importance of partnership between the government and the private sector. Policy makers should become facilitators in the efforts to improve women's skills.

The MCWE is part of the Indonesia G20 Presidency's Women 20 agenda focused on empowering women to become active players in the economy.

G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding presidency of the grouping this year.

According to Hartarto, honing women's skills can also be optimized to increase their participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), so that they can confront future challenges.

Hence, with this mindset, countries can guide more women scientists that can be responsible for sustainable innovations in the long term, he remarked.

The first MCWE in the history of the G20 forum is a correct step to bolster women's empowerment and inclusion. Indonesia and G20 should be proud of this achievement, he said.

With the theme of Recover Together, Recover Stronger to Close the Gap, Indonesia and G20 should be more optimistic and concrete in their actions to improve women's empowerment and inclusion, Hartarto remarked.

He expects that the MCWE initiative can produce real action for the empowerment of Indonesian women and can be continued in the next G20 presidency.

He urged all parties to support this MCWE that expands the inclusion of women's economy through efforts that unite the private sector and stakeholders by creating innovation by and for women.

This is because Hartarto believes that the nation's prosperity is closely linked to gender equality and women's empowerment.

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Translator: M Heriyanto, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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