Leave No One Behind: Taking Action for Transformational Change on Women's Economic Empowerment

The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General established the High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment to bring together leaders from different constituencies—government, civil society, business and international organizations—to launch a shared global agenda that accelerates women’s economic participation and empowerment in support of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its promise that no one will be left behind. The High-Level Panel released its first report in September 2016, and this second report focuses on a tighter set of recommendations to accelerate progress on this vital agenda.

The report reflects work by expert groups, including Panel members and others, who have examined each of the seven drivers for addressing systemic barriers to women’s economic empowerment that were introduced in the first report, as well as macroeconomic policy, in greater detail. It focuses particularly on ways to support the most marginalized women at the base of the pyramid in agricultural and informal work. The Panel is also preparing a set of online toolkits for each driver to help interested partners fast-track action.

The report is intended to help guide those who are keen to take action, to inspire others to act, and to help to create longer-term momentum for transformational change. Deliberately aimed at a non-specialist audience, it can be read either independently or as part of the Panel’s entire suite of publications.