Women in leadership boost productivity: Manpower Minister

Jakarta, Indonesianpost.com – Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah has emphasized the importance of increasing the number of women in leadership positions to boost productivity and support creative economic activities.

“There is an urgent need to make policymakers and government representatives aware of the importance of boosting the representation of women in managerial positions,” she said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

In her opening speech at the Conference on Women’s Leadership in Public-Sector Organizations for Productivity Enhancement, she noted that women were basically blessed with capabilities required for becoming successful leaders.

She stated that women, as compared to men, tend to be more patient and empathetic, as well as have better skills in networking, communicating, and multitasking.

“An empowered woman has confidence. She can make decisions for herself and wields access to opportunities and resources that provide her with numerous chances and options to take,” she pointed out.

Fauizyah also remarked that the conference is held to spotlight the relationship between gender inclusiveness and productivity in accordance with the principles of the Asian Productivity Organization’s (APO’s) 2025 vision.

“This conference also reflects women’s commitment to creating an inclusive environment, as well as enhancing productivity and innovation in public-sector organizations,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of APO Indra Pradana Singawinata emphasized the need for parties to take initiatives to bolster women’s representation in economic activities for the sake of realizing a higher level of inclusiveness.

APO, a regional intergovernmental organization, was founded specifically to enhance productivity in the Asia-Pacific region by promoting mutual collaboration.

As the host of the conference, Indonesia is known as an active country in several organizations in the region.

Some 150 delegates from APO member states, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Fiji, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Turkey, and Nepal, are participating in the conference.

The participants largely constitute female stakeholders in the public sector.