2020 presented a host of unexpected challenges, threatening the progress the world has made in women’s empowerment. From education and healthcare to job security and childcare, women and girls around the globe have been disproportionately burdened by the social and economic impacts of COVID-19.

While the pandemic has deepened pre-existing inequities, it has also presented opportunities to reimagine systems, mobilize action, and accelerate momentum for a world that is equal, inclusive and resilient. As we recover and press forward in 2021, women and their allies are acting with courage, strength and perseverance to shape a future that works better for all.

Hosted in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's 11th Annual International Women’s Day Forum highlighted how the private sector, working with cross-sector partners, can narrow gender gaps in every aspect of society, redefine leadership, reconstruct workplaces, and drive equality of opportunity for women and girls as we navigate our recovery from the pandemic and beyond.