2022 GSW wraps up with firm message on child protection
More than 600 female business leaders from 52 countries wrapped up the 32nd Global Summit of Women on Saturday with a firm final message of commitment to protecting children from human trafficking and cybercrime.
Irene Natividad, president of this year’s summit, also lauded Thailand for hosting the event with warm hospitality and professional management.
She said the three-day summit offered a lifetime experience for everybody to hear and learn from global women influencers and opinion leaders.
She also hoped this summit will inspire other women to improve their business and career, as well as their own lives and those of others.
Natividad added that though this summit is over, it is not the last because there is a lot more work to be done.
Shifting focus on child protection
The summit’s closing ceremony focused on raising awareness of child trafficking and online abuse and pleading for support in strengthening prevention measures and punishment for the crime.
Suriyon Sriorathaikul, the vice-chair of SafeguardKids Foundation Thailand, said that though law-enforcement agencies and related organisations worldwide are focusing on protecting children, crimes against them continue and are escalating during these troubled times.
Child trafficking and online abuse, especially sexual exploitation, have no borders, he said. Many countries, including Thailand, may already have legal processes in place, but efforts to protect children must continue as criminals always find ways to harm the young, Suriyon added.
The women business leaders, all dressed in beautiful colours, stood up to applaud Suriyon and offer their firm commitment to protecting children.
The event wrapped up with Natividad announcing that the next summit will be hosted by Dubai.
Lessons to learn, partnerships to continue
Over the past three days, women from both public and private sectors have learned from each other and shared invaluable experiences. They have also allowed others to expand their business prospects, build partnerships and highlight women’s role in economic development.
The summit also offered guidelines to women entrepreneurs on how to apply technology and innovation such as social media, e-commerce, cryptocurrency and the metaverse to groom and grow their business.
They learned to become part of a global community and employ environmental solutions, gender diversity and global political participation.
Founded in 1990, the Global Summit of Women is a Washington-based non-governmental organisation conceived as a forum for all sectors – public, private and non-profit – to gather under the common vision of expanding opportunities for women.
