The Future of the Global Economy: Women

Muhtar Kent, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, the Coca-Cola Company writes a compelling piece for The Huffington Post on how women will play a major role in transforming our global economy and society over the next decade.

Key excerpt:

I think there’s another way of looking at this as well — one that goes beyond national comparisons. In fact, I would say that real drivers of the “Post-American World” won’t be China … or India … or Brazil — or any nation for that matter. The real drivers will be women. Women entrepreneurs, women business, political, academic and cultural leaders — and women innovators. The truth is that women already are the most dynamic and fastest-growing economic force in the world today.

Women now control over $20 trillion dollars in spending worldwide. To put that into context — that’s an economic impact larger than the U.S., China and India economies combined. But there’s so much more to the story. -> Here in the U.S., women-owned businesses account for nearly $4 trillion dollars in GDP. That’s right: $4 trillion dollars in economic output. This alone constitutes the fourth-largest economy in the world. Only the U.S., Japan and China are larger today.

Women’s entrepreneurship doesn’t stop at U.S. borders, of course. It is soaring around the world. In fact, today, one in 11 working-age women is now involved in entrepreneurship. And the highest percentages of women business owners are in markets you might not expect. Consider this: nearly 20 percent of working women in Thailand are entrepreneurs. In India, it’s 14 percent; Argentina, 12 percent; Brazil, 11 percent; and Mexico and Chile 10 percent. And these percentages are rising every year.

Read the entire article (and take a look at the comments): This Century Goes to the Women

And let us know if you agree or disagree.

You might also be interested in this related piece:  “Women Key to Global Economic Growth, Kent Tells Yale Students – Speech.”  Check this out while you are at it too:  5 By 20.

Illustration reference here.

Posted by:  Laurel Delaney