Today Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg spoke about the importance of why embracing digitalisation and supporting female SMBs was the key to economic recovery in the Asia Pacific region.
“The pandemic has proved the value of connection, cooperation across borders, and the economic opportunity created by an open, accessible internet,” Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook, said.
Sandberg gave her powerful speech whilst presenting at the first virtual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting in which she talked about Facebook’s decision to invest in digital literacy programs and help strengthen connectivity for those living in remote ares.
“We should give everyone the opportunity to be part of this digital future. We will continue to invest in digital literacy programs, online education, and improve connectivity for people in remote communities so that we can together build a thriving digital economy that will power Asia-Pacific for years to come.
Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook
Sandberg also shared global data from Facebook showing how women are disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Here are the statistics for Australia:
- More females led SMBs were closed in comparison to male led SMBs. In August, 78% of female-led SMBs were operational (vs. 82% of male-led SMBs)
- While females were also burdened with additional domestic responsibilities, with 28% of female owners and managers of operational SMBs reported that they were spending 6+ hours per day on domestic tasks and family care (vs. 8% of male).
You can watch the full video below: