world, what we do will have an impact on everywhere else. some barriers are left over from a different time and haven't changed to reflect new economic realities or concepts of justice. some seek to preserve an economic order that ensures that men have the higher paying jobs to support their families. and some reflect lingering cultural norms, the belief that women need to be protected are from work that is thought to be dangerous or unhealthy for them. in truth, what is dangerous is denying ourselves the level of economic growth we need to build stronger societies. and what is unhealthy is for women to be denied the chance to contribute fully to that growth. that denies everyone, first and foremost, their games, a chance at greater prosperity. economic orders do not perpetuate themselves. they are made and remade through countless decisions, small and large, by economic policy makers, political leaders and business

executives. so if we want to see opportunities for women improve, we must begin with sound economic policies that explicitly address the unique challenges that limb women, and here's why. a goldman-sachs report shows how a reduction in barriers to female labor force participation would increase america's g.d.p. by 9%. we admits we still have such barriers. it would increase the yurs -- euro zone by 15% and japan's by 15th. it could lead to a 14% rise in per capital -- per-capita incomes in several economies, including, china, russia, philippines, vietnam and korea. of course rising increase means increased spending, which helps fuel more growth.

and here, too, women make a strong contribution. a boston consulting group survey concludes that globally women will control $15 trillion in spending by the year 2014. and by 2028, b.c.g. says women will be responsible for about 2/3 of consumer spending worldwide. digging a little deeper into the data, we can see positive benefits that flow from both the quality of spending and the quality of saving by women. multiple studies have shown that women spend more of their earned income on food, health care, home improvement and schooling for themselves and their children. in short, they reinvest, and that kind of spending has a multiplier effect, leading to more job growth and diversified local economies. and that in turn can help ensure better educated

healthier citizens and provide a cushion in the event of market downturns. the research also shows that women are stronger savers than men. does that surprise any of the women here? [laughter] data from 20 semi-industrialized countries suggests that for every one percentage point increase in the share of household income generated by women, aggregate domestic savings increased by roughly 15 basis points. and a higher savings rate translates into a higher tax base as well. integrating women more effectively into the way businesses invest, market and recruit also yields benefits in terms of profitablity and corporate governance. a survey reported increased profits as a result of investments in empowering women in emerging markets.

research also demonstrates a strong correlation between higher degrees of gender diversity in the leadership ranks of business and organizational performance. the world bank finds that by eliminating discrimination against female workers and managers, managers could significantly increase productivity per worker by 25% to 40%. reducing barriers, preventing women from working in certain sectors would lower the productivity gap between male and female workers by a third to one half across a range of countries. these gains are achieved because removing barriers to the talent and skills of women can be ememployed more efficiently. in our globalized world today, this is a competitive edge that is more important than ever. all of this underscores my primary point. when we liberate the economic potential of women, we elevate

the economic performance of communities, nations and the world. take just one sector of our economy, agriculture to illustrate what i mean. we know women play an important role in driving agriculture-led growth world wide. agriculture is a power giannini for development as we have seen in the remarkable rise of china and india. in several economies, women comprise nearly half of the agriculture labor force. they sustain every link in the agricultural chain. they plant the seeds, care for the livestock, harvest the crops, sell them at markets, they store thed food, and then they prepare it for consumption. as for the role of women in agriculture nowadays, despite their presence in all of these kinds of jobs, they have less to show for all of their work. women farmers are up to 30%

less productive than male farmers. and that is not because they are working less or less committed. it's because women farmers have access to fewer resources. they have less fertilizer, fewer tools, poorer quality seed and less access to training or to land. and they have much less time to farm because they also have to do most of the household work. when that resource gap is closed and resources are allocated equally, and better yet, efficiently, women and men are equally productive in agriculture. and that has positive benefits. in nepal, for example, where mothers have greater ownership of land, there are fewer underweight children. so what we have is an opportunity to accelerate growth in developing economies

while at the same time producing more and cheaper food for our planet. close the resource gap holding women back in developing economies, and we could feed 150 million more people worldwide every year. that is according to the food and agriculture organization. that is in addition to the higher incomes for families and the more efficient markets and the more agricultural trade that would result. the same kindthe same kind of ie seen in other sectors of the economy, because we know the entrepreneurial spirit of a man is strong. more than half a million enterprises in indonesia and nearly 400,000 in korea are headed by women. they run nearly 20% of all of china's small businesses. all across asia, women have and continue to dominate light manufacturing sectors that have proved crucial to the region's

economic take off. and economists predict that women-owned businesses, which now provides for 16% of all u.s. jobs, will create nearly a third of the new jobs anticipated over the next seven years. so with that kind of evidence at hand, it is little wonder that the world economic forum's gender gap report finds a direct correlation between the gender gap and economic productivity. the lower the former, the higher the latter. as klaus schwab, the executive chairman of the world economic forum concludes, women and girls must be treated equally of the countries to grow and prosper. the declaration we will adopt here today can begin to close the gender gap, by making it possible for more women to unleash their potential as workers, and entrepreneurs, and business leaders. and the goals in this declaration of very specific. we commit to giving women access to capital, so women entrepreneurs can turn their

ideas into the small and medium enterprises that are the source of so much growth and job creation. we urge examining and reforming our legal and regulatory systems so women can avail themselves of a full range of financial services, and such reforms can also help ensure that women are not forced to compromise on the well-being of their children to pursue a business career. we must improve women's access to markets so those who start businesses can keep them open. for example, we need to correct the problem of what is called information asymmetric problems, meaning that women are not informed about the trade and technical assistance programs that are available, as we just discussed and agriculture. there are two state the parma programs that we're using to try to model a lot of these approaches. a program called pathways to prosperity connects policymakers

and private sector leaders in 15 countries across the americas peter it is aimed at helping small business owners, small farmers, craft people do more businesses, both locally and three regional trade. and the african women's on to partnership program reaches out to women that are part of the african growth and opportunity countries to provide them with information and tools to take advantage of what agoa has to offer. finally, we must support the rise of women leaders in the public and private sectors, because they bring firsthand knowledge and understanding of these challenges, and their perspectives will add greater value as we shape policies and programs that will eliminate barriers to bring women into all economic sectors. several businesses are already taking significant steps to meet such goals. goldman sacks is training the next generation of women business leaders in developing economies, with its 10,000 women

campaign. coca-cola's five by 20 campaign aims to post -- claims to support 5 million women entrepreneurs worldwide by 2020. just this week, walmart announced that it will use its purchasing power to support women entrepreneurs by doubling the amount of goods it will buy from women-owned businesses globally to $20 billion by 2016. [applause] in an addition, wal-mart will invest $100 million to help women develop their job skills, including women who work on their farms and factories overseas that are walmart suppliers. now, these programs are just the start of the type of permanent shift we need to see in how businesses worldwide invest in

women. now, i do not underestimate the difficulty of measuring in what i call the participation age. legal changes require political will. cultural and behavioral changes require social well. all of this requires leadership by governments, civil society, and the private sector. and even when countries pursue an aggressive structural reforms to get more women into their economy and enhance their productivity, they do not always produce the results that we would like to see. so we have to stay with this. persistence is part of our long- term plan. and while economic orders may be hard to change, and policy strategies -- no matter how good, can only get us so far, we all have to make a choice, not simply to remove barriers but to really fill this field with an active investment and involvement from all of us. those of you who are here today

are leaders from across the >> aye. >> region, and it is your choice to come here, it is your choice to focus on women and the economy that will send a message rippling across >> aye. >> -- rippling across apec. the callous decision that will be taken by leaders and citizens to encourage young girls to stay in school, to acquire skills, to talk to that banker, to understand what it means to give a loan to a woman who will work her heart out to produce a result for herself and her children. and when we do that, we're going to really make a big difference in helping to elevate the age of participation for women. and there are many other areas we have to be attended to. our medical research dollars need to be sure that we are equally investing in when men as men. our tax systems have to ensure

that we do not either deliberately or inadvertently discriminate against women. and women should be given the same opportunities to be productive and contributing members of society. but big and bold ideas, i think are called for in our world today, because a lot of what we are doing is not in achieving the outcomes that we are seeking. there is a stimulative and rebel affect that kicks in when women have greater access to jobs and the economic fortunes of their families, their communities, and their countries. many people say that there are all kinds of benefits that will flow from this, but i want to be somewhat modest in our goals. yes, i do think it will produce more food and more educational opportunity and more financial stability for more families around the world, and that will have a dividend across the full

spectrum of society. but our declaration will be meaningless if we do not put our will and effort behind it. i think this summit just might make the history books that people look back in years to come and say, that meeting in san francisco with all of those important people from across the asia-pacific region said something that had never been said before. they did not just as there that involving women was a good thing to do or the right thing to do. they put their heads together and came up with a declaration committing themselves to really tackle the obstacles, because it will benefit the people we all represent. and then we need to measure our progress to be sure that we are tracking what we care about. we obviously do that in our own lives, but it is important we do it across our countries and our regions. and i am sure that if we leave this summit and go back to our

governments and our businesses and focus on how we are going to improve employment, bring down national debts, create greater trade between us, tackling all of that, and always in the back up our mind keep in focus what more can we do to make sure women contribute to those results, we will see progress, and we will be in the lead and not only serving -- not only asserting what we think should be done, but in measuring and tracking how well we are doing. so i thank you for gathering here in san francisco, mindful that we're on a long journey together. i look out and i see friends from across the region, representing countries that have been so amazing in the progress that you have made in the last 50 years, even in the last 30 years. it will take time. it will take our concerted effort. but i am convinced that if we

come into pursuing the promise of this participation age and unleashing and harnessing the economic potential of women, we will see a new and better future. that is why i am honored to be here representing the people of the united states, bearing witness to what begins right here in san francisco, on september 16, 2011. this is the beginning of a very promising future for us all. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you. [cheers and applause]

[applause] >> thank you, all. i think we're going right into the high level ministerial meeting. is that right, ambassador? and i have got two of my most esteemed colleagues here, the foreign minister from indonesia and the foreign minister from australia. and we're going to have a discussion about a lot of these issues and what we all can do. are we going to begin right away? ok, so we're going to have everybody on the panel come join us. we will welcome audience participation and involvement as well, because we want as many good ideas as we can get. just a minute. we will be right there. [applause]

>> welcome to "culturewire." today we are at recology. they are celebrate 20 years of one of the most incredibly unique artist residency programs. we are here to learn more from

one of the resident artists. welcome to the show, deborah. tell us how this program began 20 years ago. >> the program began 20 years ago. our founder was an environmentalist and an activist and an artist in the 1970's. she started these street sweeping campaigns in the city. she started with kids. they had an exhibition at city hall. city officials heard about her efforts and they invited her to this facility. we thought it would coincide with our efforts to get folks to recycle, it is a great educational tool. since then, we have had 95 professional artists come through. >> how has the program changed over the years? how has the program -- what can the public has an artist engage with? >> for the most part, we worked

with metal and wood, what you would expect from a program like ours. over the years, we tried to include artists and all types of mediums. conceptual artists, at installation, photographers, videographers. >> that has really expanded the program out. it is becoming so dynamic right now with your vision of interesting artists in gauging here. why would an artist when to come here? >> mainly, access to the materials. we also give them a lot of support. when they start, it is an empty studio. they go out to the public area and -- we call it the big store. they go out shopping, take the materials that, and get to work. it is kind of like a reprieve, so they can really focus on their body of work. >> when you are talking about recology, do you have the only

sculpture garden at the top? >> it is based on work that was done many years ago in new york. it is the only kind of structured, artist program. weit is beautiful. a lot of the plants you see were pulled out of the garbage, and we use our compost to transplant them. the pathway is lined with rubble from the earthquake from the freeways we tour about 5000 people a year to our facility, adults and children. we talk about recycling and conservation. they can meet the artists. >> fantastic. let's go meet some of your current artists. here we are with lauren. can you tell us how long have been here so far and what you're working on? >> we started our residency on

june 1, so we came into the studio then and spent most of the first couple weeks just digging around in the trash. i am continuing my body of work, kind of making these hand- embroidered objects from our day-to-day life. >> can you describe some of the things you have been making here? this is amazing. >> i think i started a lot of my work about the qualities of light is in the weight. i have been thinking a lot about things floating through the air. it is also very windy down here. there is a piece of sheet music up there that i have embroidered third. there is a pamphlet about hearing dea -- nearing death. this is a dead rabbit. this is what i am working on now. this is a greeting card that i found, making it embroidered. it is for a very special friend.

>> while we were looking at this, i glanced down and this is amazing, and it is on top of a book, it is ridiculous and amazing. >> i am interested in the serendipity of these still life compositions. when he got to the garbage and to see the arrangement of objects that is completely spontaneous. it is probably one of the least thought of compositions. people are getting rid of this stuff. it holds no real value to them, because they're disposing of it. >> we're here in another recology studio with abel. what attracted you to apply for this special program? >> who would not want to come to the dump? but is the first question. for me, being in a situation that you're not comfortable in has always been the best. >> what materials were you immediately attracted to when you started and so what was

available here? >> there are a lot of books. that is one of the thing that hits me the most. books are good for understanding, language, and art in general. also being a graphic designer, going straight to the magazines and seeing all this printed material being discarded has also been part of my work. of course, always wood or any kind of plastic form or anything like that. >> job mr. some of the pieces you have made while you have been here. -- taught me through some of the pieces you have made while you have been here. >> the first thing that attracted me to this was the printed surface. it was actually a poster. it was a silk screen watercolor, about 8 feet long. in terms of the flatwork, i work with a lot of cloddish. so being able to cut into it come at into it, removed parts, it is part of the process of negotiating the final form.

>> how do you jump from the two dimensional work that you create to the three-dimensional? maybe going back from the 3f to 2d. >> everything is in the process of becoming. things are never said or settled. the sculptures are being made while i am doing the collages, and vice versa. it becomes a part of something else. there's always this figuring out of where things belong or where they could parapets something else. at the end goal is to possibly see one of these collage plans be built out and create a structure that reflects back into the flat work. >> thank you so much for allowing "culturewire" to visit this amazing facility and to learn more about the artists in residence program. is there anything you like our viewers to know? >> we have art exhibitions every

four months, and a win by the public to come out. everybody is welcome to come out. we have food. sometimes we have gains and bands. it is great time. from june to september, we accept applications from bay area artists. we encouraged artists from all mediums to apply. we want as many artists from the bay area out here so they can have the same experience. >> how many artists to do your host here? >> 6 artist a year, and we receive about 108 applications. very competitive. >> but everyone should be encouraged to apply. thank you again for hosting us. >> thank you for including us in "culturewire." ♪

>> hello, everyone, and thank you for joining us this evening. my name is sandra. i'm part of the arab heritage month committee. we would like to welcome you to our annual arab heritage month celebration. on behalf of the mayor's office and the city of san francisco. >> hi, everyone.

thank you for joining. we were technically supposed to start at 5:30, but we are a few minutes early. that's pretty good. we're usually late. thank you for coming. this is the third year we have initiated the cemenevent. this is a very interesting year to be an arab, i would say. many things are happening throughout the arab world. as you may have noticed, there's been a slight change in the flag. we have a new libyan flag. [laughter] [applause] we have four arab countries in the entire arab world where people are finally speaking up. for many of us in the s