Being the leading country of the South Pacific is Peru’s greatest aim for 2011. That is why we must promote economic growth and reduce poverty and exclusion. This year, it has been our turn to host APEC, which opens great opportunities for us to display our potential to the member economies, to share experiences and to provide reciprocal support towards future investments and cooperation relations.

APEC’s 21 economies work together on investment for sustainable development, through the liberalization and facilitation of trade, but they understand that it is not possible to reach it without eliminating inequalities. Among their main commitments is the promotion of gender equality, thus acknowledging the importance of women’s participation and contribution to the economy.

The Peruvian government also recognizes the important role of women, whose active presence is growing day by day. However, this participation is currently limited to the microenterprise sector, to informal and less productive activities. That is why our commitment is to promote a future with a greater role for women in business, allowing them access to market opportunities in equal conditions as their male counterparts.

Within the framework of APEC PERU 2008, the Ministry of Women and Social Development (MIMDES) has been in charge of organizing the Women and Gender events in Arequipa and Tacna, where the initiatives to reach those goals have been discussed.

We are sure that the participation of women, in particular the Peruvian businesswomen, has strengthened the image of Peru as a country with potential, not only because of the diversity of its resources but also because of the quality of its proposals for the development of APEC’s 21 economies.