Women leaders from different sectors shared personal stories of resilience and empowerment, showcasing the potential of individuals like Latha, Bobby, and Priyanka to become community leaders despite facing numerous obstacles. The session highlighted the importance of social security, resilience, support and collaboration between government, businesses, civil society, factories and workforce representatives to drive positive change and create equitable workplaces. The next session segues into discourse by representatives of UN Women, ILO, the private sector and civil society on solutions at systemic, behavioural and practice levels that need to be addressed to achieve workforce development and well-being.

Key takeaways focused on the significance of investing in women’s empowerment, infrastructure, and Capacity-Building to foster community development. The need for responsible business leadership and practices, ethical sourcing and inclusive policies to support women’s economic participation and address vulnerabilities like gender-based violence, discrimination, climate change and occupational safety was emphasised.

The discussions underscored the complex interplay of economic, social, and environmental factors influencing the workforce, calling for a more human-centric approach to business and policy-making. The session concluded with a call to action for strengthening labour policies, improving investments, demonstration of leadership, deepening evidence-based results and promoting gender equality by fostering collaboration between diverse stakeholders to create a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.