AN ECONOMICS summit later this week will draw three world leaders, dozens of ministers and hundreds of business owners to Hong Kong, including a South African trade delegation comprising five ministers and 43 entrepreneurs eager to do business with Asia.
They will attend sessions with titles that range from 'Business and Trade Opportunities in the Asia-Pacific Region' to 'Successful Financing Models for SMEs' (small and medium-sized enterprises) and 'Packaging Your Business for the Internet'. Only a handful of participants will be wearing neckties, though. In contrast to the high-testosterone World Economic Forum conference to be held here in October, almost all the attendees will be women.
The Global Summit of Women, which in its 11th year is taking place from Thursday to Saturday at the Furama Hotel, is the brainchild of Irene Natividad. Born in the Philippines, Ms Natividad in 1985 became the first Asian-American to be elected president of America's National Women's Political Caucus. She has spent most of her career focused on helping women help themselves - and each other.
The summit, said Ms Natividad, is an international manifestation of her commitment to promote women's issues globally.
'When you look at the formal international meetings that have to do with business or economics . . . how many women do you see? Not many,' she said, acknowledging that few women have yet to claim the positions of power that allow them to participate. 'So why wait to be invited to such meetings? We decided to have our own meetings of women leaders.'
She stressed that while women have little representation in government - 'only three out of 50 governors in the US are women' - and big business - 'less than 5 per cent of senior executive positions in the US are held by women', they have plenty of economic clout. 'Part of what I do is give them information and facts about themselves so that they understand what kind of clout they have.
'What is astonishing is that despite continuing inequities in the workplace . . . women are becoming a focal force who are changing the face and practice of the world's economies.'