Loading... please wait

Keynote Remarks: Minister Erika Mouynes, Panama Minister of Foreign Affairs | Mainstage

Speaker:
Erika Mouynes, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Panama

Around the world, every country is speaking the same language about vaccine access and economic recovery. For Erika Mouynes, Minister of Foreign Affairs in Panama, the importance of sustainability and gender are at the center of solution building. 

The agendas that countries put forward, she said, show what we want and who we are. Budgets that include programs centering on women, microfinance, and gender equity are shown to be better for the economy. Further, women need to be in more positions of leadership. Countries where women hold positions of power are more likely to commit to addressing the climate crisis. Panama is doing its part as one of only three carbon-negative countries on the planet. However, one country is insufficient to address the full magnitude of the crises facing today’s world. It’s crucial that neighboring countries do their part to drive economic strategies and put both women and climate at the top of their agendas.

In the end, any effort to mitigate the fallout of COVID-19 without a gender lens dilutes its efficacy.

Erika Mouynes

Key takeaways & next steps:

  • Countries that center both gender equity and sustainability will strengthen their economies.