Organised by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the European Commission in close collaboration with UN Women.

Gender equality is not only a fundamental right but an economic imperative. Empowering women leads to improved economic outcomes such as higher GDP, increased productivity, and higher employment. In view of the ongoing climate changes, investing in gender equality through climate finance can be a transformative driver for both climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

This panel will highlight the importance of gender equality in the green transition, focusing on the European Union's (EU), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and partner organisations’ support to its Neighborhood and the Western Balkans.

Moderator: Emma Modeer Wiking- Head of International Sustainable Business, Business Sweden

Opening: 

• Adrienn Kiraly, Director for Neighbourhood East and Institution Building, European Commission and DG NEAR
• Erik Korsgren Acting Head of Department for Trade, Private Sector and Financial Instruments, Sweden 

Panelists: 

• Charlotte dos Santos Pruth, Senior Policy Specialist, Kvinna till Kvinna
• Tobias Lorentzson, Swedish Ambassador to Azerbaijan
• Carolina Sanchez-Paramo, World Bank Director for Strategy and Operations for the Europe and Central Asia Region
• Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Chief of Economic Empowerment, UN Women

Watch the session live from the Swedish Pavilion