Thai women business leaders meet ahead of APEC Women’s Summit

Thailand’s female business leaders and entrepreneurs gathered in Bangkok last week to share experiences and renew their commitment for change ahead of the APEC Women’s Summit, which Thailand will host during the final week of June.

SCG, the first company founded in Thailand, hosted the event entitled “Women Empowerment to Drive a Sustainable Economy.” The forum attracted female leaders from big businesses as well as small entrepreneurs and even farmers. They all agreed that leaders need vision and courage to drive their businesses and cope with challenges, and that women possess those qualities in abundance. All they need are opportunities.

“Today, women have more opportunities to do important jobs on the global stage,” said Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Secretariat Executive Director, who attended the forum.

As in every country, the status of women in Thailand is mixed, with strong representation in some areas and better results needed in others. In business, Thai women have been making important gains.

According to the Credit Suisse Research Institute, Thailand ranks second in the world for the percentage of women with jobs in senior management, and first in the percentage of women chief financial officers.

The Kingdom has had a woman Prime Minister and recently it appointed its first woman Attorney General.

Most economists agree that women’s participation is essential for a strong, diverse and resilient economy. When it comes to sustainability, the United Nations has said that gender equality is integral to each and every one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Photo courtesy of https://www.tatnews.org/2022/03/