CPA News Releases, Advisories, and Editorials

LONDON, Nov. 11 — Government leaders, economists, corporate, union, grassroots experts and academic specialists meeting at 11 Downing Street resolved at the end of a two-day conference to advance a new economic agenda that invests in women’s economic potential and power and closes the economic divide between rich and poor. They issued a new Trans-Atlantic Statement of Principles on Women in the New Economy as the foundation for action in Great Britain, the United States and other nations around the world.

The Rt Hon Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer, along with The Rt Hon Baroness Margaret Jay of Paddington, Leader of the House of Lords, joined Linda Tarr-Whelan, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and President of the Center for Policy Alternatives, in keynoting the Women in the New Economy Summit at 11 Downing Street.

“It is time to recognize that women must be integral to the economic solutions for the 21st Century — in our nations and in every nation,” said Ambassador Tarr-Whelan; “We reach out from this important conference with a Trans-Atlantic Statement of Principles. We hope this will be a new catalyst for action at every level, in every sector of our societies to create new partnerships, new power, and a new balance between work and family for women who are contributing so much to our economies.”

The Women in the Economy Summit at 11 Downing Street also is evaluating the reality of the new global economy in relation to women’s enormous current and potential role, and will foster a network of women leaders for the exchange of views, common interests and experiences.

Questions being considered include the phenomenal growth in women-owned small businesses (one million in the U .K., nine million in the U.S., double the 1987 figure), the surge in the number of educated women (more women than men are now enrolled in undergraduate courses in both countries), and the continued high level of women in poverty (U.K women still earn 80 pence for every pound earned by a man; U.S. women earn 74 cents per man’s dollar).

In addition, the Center for Policy Alternatives, will forward the Trans-Atlantic Statement of Principles to leaders of the G-8 nations, requesting their signatures and that they place on the agenda of the G-8 meeting in Okinawa, Japan in 2000 consideration of expanding economic and entrepreneurial opportunities for women.

“Women are playing an increasingly larger part in every economy-that’s just a fact,” said Tarr-Whelan before the gathering. “Therefore it is more than time for our new leadership to think about growth in a way that builds on women’s strengths, a way that makes sense for businesses and families and the communities that support all of them.”

Wilf Stevenson, Director of the Smith Institute said, ” The Summit has clearly shown the importance of building a women-led agenda in the economic policy framework. We have learned invaluable lessons from the U.S. experience.” Recognizing that women make up over 50 percent of the population and that more than 70 percent of working age women in the UK are economically active, the Smith Institute intends to look closely at gender issues (within its Equality Action Programme) and policies aimed at stimulating the growth of women led enterprises.

The Summit is co-sponsored by the Center for Policy Alternatives, a Washington-based non-profit women’s leadership development organisation; the U.K. Cabinet Office Women’s Unit and The Smith Institute, a London think tank concerned with economic efficiency and social values. U.S. sponsors for the Summit include Marriott International and IBM.