HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/15/2019 - United Nations' Convention On The Elimination Of All Discrimination Against Women - Economic Advisory Commission
Economic Health Office
300 LaPorte Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6505
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: May 15th, 2019
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
CC: Darin Atteberry, City Manager;
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager;
Jacqueline Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Josh Birks, Economic Health and Redevelopment Director
FROM: Denichiro “Denny” Otsuga, Chair – Economic Advisory Commission;
Connor Barry, Vice-Chair – Economic Advisory Commission; and
Members, Economic Advisory Commission for 2019
RE: UNITED NATIONS’ CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW)
The purpose of this memorandum is to inform the City Council of the Economic Advisory Commission’s
(EAC) recommendation made during the May 15 meeting regarding the United Nations’ Convention on
the Elimination of All Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Position:
The Fort Collins Economic Advisory Commission members received a request from Fort Collins
Women’s Commission, at our April 17, 2019 meeting, to support their effort to bring forward to City
Council a recommendation for the drafting of a CEDAW resolution for the City of Fort Collins.
The members of the EAC, based on a motion passed 6-0 (for-against) to recommend City Council’s
consideration to draft a CEDAW resolution based on the expected economic impacts of such
resolution.
According to the research by McKinsey & Company, gender equality in work could add a 19% increase
in GDP for North America and Oceania worth 5.3 trillion by 2025. The indicators for gender equality
include a representative female-to-male ratio in; labor-force participation rate, professional and technical
jobs, wage, leadership positions, and unpaid care work. The same report also found the highest correlation
to gender equality in society with economic development. However, it also states that achieving gender
equality through economic growth is a slow process. It identified four areas that likely accelerate gender
equality in work: education level, financial and digital inclusion, legal protection, and unpaid care work.
Many other research points to economic loss due to gender inequality.
Reference: McKinsey & Company, McKinsey Global Institute, The Power of Parity: How Advancing
Women’s Equality Can Add $12 Trillion to Global Growth. 2015