Saudi Arabia's delegation to a group of 20 major economies that met in Indonesia said that empowering women in the digital sphere would help increase their participation in the workforce, as countries agreed to strengthen international cooperation.
Indonesia this year holds the rotating presidency of the G-20 and hosted a series of high-level meetings, which will culminate in the leader's summit in November.
Saudi Arabia, represented on the Family Affairs Council at a meeting last week, said that women's contribution to economic and social development is one of the pillars of the Kingdom's pursuit of its Vision 2030, a reform plan aimed at diversifying the country's economy.
"One of the objectives of Vision 2030 is to increase women's participation in the workforce and support (owned) women's companies."
The digital economy was "a key enabler of a vibrant society, an effective government and a prosperous economy." Women's participation in the Saudi labour force stood at 35.6 per cent by the last quarter of 2021, exceeding the Kingdom's target of 30 per cent.
Women's participation in the global labour force is slightly more than 50 per cent, according to World Bank data, compared to 80 per cent for men. Studies have found that women are less likely to be formally employed and have fewer opportunities to expand their jobs or advance their careers.
"Participants expressed support for increasing women's participation and access to leadership positions, especially as decision makers"
