Public/Private Partnerships

World Bank Partnerships

• Rachel Kyte, Director, Environment and Social Development Dept. International Finance Corporation, World Bank

Benchmarking Corporate Performance

• Barbara Krumsiek, President, Calvert Fund
• Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Director, UNIFEM

Combatting Domestic Violence

• Patricia Espinosa Torres, President, Instituto de las Mujeres, Mexico
• Ann Crews, Vice President of Government Affairs, Mary Kay

Researching Women Workers

• Maud Pagel, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Deutsche Telekom

Ministerial Recommendations

There was consensus among the ministers participating that more public/private sector partnerships needs to be developed in order to expedite the economic development of nations. Government alone cannot address all the barriers that prevent women’s full participation in the economies of their countries. The private sector can and should be a partner in the development and growth of all citizens, including women.

Microsoft, given its dominant position in the world of Information Technology (IT), needs to develop a specific program for girls and women that bridges the technology gap in developing economies.

Areas of public/private sector partnerships that could be developed include:

1. Training of micro and small businesses to improve their sustainability
2. Opening access to more credit for women from existing banks
3. Re-training women workers displaced by industry shifts
4. Provision of IT training by companies in rural, as opposed to only urban, areas since the need is greater there; this can be done through partnerships with local governments and NGOs.

Co-Chairs

Cynthia A. Pratt, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, the Bahamas

Debra Chrapaty, Corporate Vice President, MSN

Ana Vilma Albanez de Escobar, Vice President, El Salvador

Sithembiso Nyoni, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Zimbabwe

Paula Dobriansky, Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs U.S. Department of State (USA)

Josefina Vazquez Mota Minister of Social Development (Mexico)

International Partners