Millions of women worldwide are eager to work but face unique barriers. Tradeoff between job opportunities and traditional household roles often limits women’s access to employment. This gender gap in labor force participation, especially in low-income countries, restricts economic growth and limits women’s financial independence.
The summit brought together business leaders, researchers, policymakers, philanthropists, and nonprofit pioneers. Through shared insights and strategic partnerships, we aim to drive the future of women’s work across sectors.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Rohini Pande is the Henry J. Heinz II Professor of Economics and Director of the Economic Growth Center at Yale University. She is also the faculty director of Inclusion Economics at Yale. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an Econometric Society fellow, and a former co-editor of American Economic Review: Insights. Pande received the 2018 Carolyn Bell Shaw Award from the American Economic Association for promoting the success of women in the economics profession and the 2022 Infosys Prize in Social Sciences. Formerly, Pande was the Rafik Harriri Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School.
Smriti Irani is a prominent politician and a former TV star. She has been a Cabinet minister from 2014 to 2024, a three-time Member of Parliament and has held various posts in BJP. Mrs. Irani earlier represented Gujarat in the Upper House, Rajya Sabha (2011-2017), and was re-elected from Gujarat in 2017. Her past ministerial portfolios include Ministry of Women & Child Development (2019-24), Ministry of Minority Affairs (2022-24) – the first non-Muslim to hold the position – Ministry of Human Resource Development (2014-16), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (2017-18), and Ministry of Textiles (2016-21). She was India’s youngest Cabinet Minister in Modi 1.0 & 2.0 and the first woman to hold office as Union Minister for HRD & Textiles.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Suhani Jalota is an Economist with a PhD from Stanford and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she was a Knight Hennessy Scholar. She is a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution and founder of the Myna Mahila Foundation, a research-driven social enterprise with the mission to increase women’s agency and decision-making power to make them more confident, financially independent, and healthy.
Steven J. Davis is the Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Hoover Institution, and Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). He was on the faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business for more than 35 years, including service as deputy dean of the faculty.
WATCH THE SESSIONS
Part 1 | Supply Side Constraints Around Bringing Women Into the Workforce
The first part of the series will focus on the supply side constraints around bringing women into the workforce. Soledad Prillman, presents her research on what really holds young Indian women back from joining the workforce and drawing on rich insights from vocational training programs across India. Followed by a panel discussion on the Role of Men in Care Giving and a lightning showcase on Empowering Women in India: Rani Work and Myna Mahila. This video includes the Keynote by Rohini Pande, Henry J. Heinz II Professor of Economics and Director of the Economic Growth Center at Yale University.
Part 2 | Marketplace Solutions That Enable Better Matching Between Labor Supply And The Demand Of Employers
The second part of the series will focus on the marketplace solutions that enable better matching between labor supply and the demand of employers. Suhani Jalota, Hoover Fellow, presents her research on Latent Productive Female Labor Supply in Mumbai and Steven Davis, Senior Hoover Fellow presenting his research on how Remote Work Draws Women Into Jobs: Evidence From Turkey. This is followed by a panel discussion on Flexible Work Arrangements: Challenges, Opportunities and Career Pathways for Women and a lightning showcase Women’s Economic Participation in India and Indonesia.
Part 3 | Demand Side Constraints And Solutions To Hire And Keep Women In The Workforce
The third part of the series will focus on the Demand side constraints and solutions - what is happening on the employer side when it comes to hiring and keeping women in the workforce. Lisa Ho presents her research on Maternity Leave Policies Make Women More Expensive for Firms followed by a panel discussion on The Business Case for Hiring and Retaining Women Across Industries (Technology, Manufacturing, Maritime) and a lightning showcase on Accelerating Women’s Workforce Participation in India Towards a $30 Trillion Economy. This video includes the keynote speech delivered by Mrs. Smriti Irani.
Part 4 | Challenges And Opportunities In Scaling Up Solutions To Bridge The Gender Labor Gap
The fourth part of the series will focus on the challenges and opportunities in scaling up solutions to bridge the gender labor gap. Susan Athey presents her research on Effective and Scalable Programs: Facilitating Labor Market Transitions for Women in Technology followed by a panel discussion on Scaling Up: Funders and Impact Investors on Driving Women’s Work Initiatives and a lightning showcase on Scaling Solutions from South Asia. This video includes the closing remarks on AI and the Future of Work for Women.
