U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta will travel to Seattle August 17-20 to participate in the APEC Women and the Economy Forum (WEF) and related events during the Third APEC Senior Officials' Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM3). As part of the 2023 U.S. host year, the United States will host the WEF for the first time since former Secretary Clinton launched this annual forum in 2011. Ambassador Rao Gupta will join the U.S. WEF Chair, Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein, in multi-day WEF sessions focused on sustainability and inclusion, with four APEC WEF core themes: 1) the gender/climate nexus and building resilient communities; 2) digital inclusion and innovation; 3) the care economy; and 4) equity and equality in global value chains.
On August 18-19, Ambassador Rao Gupta will deliver remarks at WEF Policy Partner discussions on "Innovations in Care," "Climate Change and Women's Health," and "Indigenous Women, Food Security, and Climate Change." On the margins of the WEF, the Ambassador will also engage in meetings with regional partners on bilateral efforts to advance women's economic security, along with participating in the August 18 U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Meeting on Women's Economic Empowerment.
On August 20, following the High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy (HLPDWE) led by U.S. WEF Chair Klein, Ambassador Rao Gupta will join U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago to co-chair the HLPDWE and Small & Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting (SMEMM) Joint Session. Jointly organized by the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, this meeting is the first-ever minister-level APEC ministerial meeting to highlight the role of women as entrepreneurs, innovators, and business owners. Discussion topics will include expanding women-owned businesses' access to global value chains, promoting entrepreneurship through e-commerce, and women innovators and creating climate resilience. The Ambassador and Under Secretary Lago will later co-chair a Joint Gala to elevate women-owned, led, and managed small businesses.
