Women are 'world's third biggest emerging market', Dubai summit hears

World Government Summit hears how women are overcoming inequality across the globe

Lorena Aguilar Revelo, deputy minister of foreign affairs and worship for Costa Rica, speaks at the World Government Summit. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Governments around the world are not fully implementing one of the biggest resources available to them – women.

Women are the world’s third largest emerging market, behind India and China, Lorena Aguilar, Costa Rica's deputy minister of foreign affairs and worship, told the World Government Summit in Dubai on Monday.

Her nation, she said, had benefited from empowering women and adopting sustainable policies.

The minister highlighted that women were projected to be responsible for two thirds of consumer spending globally by 2028; however, there are still significant challenges to equality across the world.

“Out of 143 countries across the world, 90 per cent have at least one law that is preventing true equality between men and women,” she said.

“There are only 20 countries in the world that women and men have the same rights when it came to owning land.”