I attended a Wilton Park FCDO led meeting on Women’s Economic Empowerment recently. It was an opportunity to meet women and men working on this important topic globally, from different sectors, countries and backgrounds with government and multilateral representatives present for the three day discussion. Against a Downton Abbey-esque backdrop, we had several discussions regarding the importance of including women and girls in all their diversity in policy, programmes, strategies and opportunities to advance their economic opportunities and empowerment. At the end of the session, FCDO and other organisations present came up with a series of commitments to take forward, and together the group will convene each year to discuss progress in their own areas of work. Once again, I was bringing my own lived experience, but equally my technical expertise on disability inclusion into the discussion. Let’s hope we continue to see progress on this and other related topics like women’s health, the care economy, sexual reproductive health and rights and equalling the pay gap. There were men in the room of course, because this is a collaborative effort and we all need to be engaged.
