CIPE board chair and Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council President and CEO Karen Kerrigan is actively involved in many efforts to empower women, particularly through entrepreneurship. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, here are some of her insights on increasing women’s political and economic participation around the world.
CIPE: Some of the key aspects of women’s empowerment – political, economic and civic – are not fully understood around the world, especially when it comes to the inherent linkages between all three. How do you view them? Why do you think they are important and interconnected?
Karen Kerrigan: The voice and full participation of women in all realms – political, economic and civic – is essential to building and sustaining an inclusive, innovative, and opportunity-driven environment for countries and societies. Government policies and inequitable laws, for example, may erect roadblocks for women who want to start businesses or pursue certain careers. Similarly, economic opportunities and growth are limited for all citizens when a nation fails to harness the energy and value of half of its human capital assets.
