New York, March 16, 2026: Smriti Zubin Irani, Founder and Chairperson of the Alliance for Global Good, Gender Equity and Equality and former Union Minister for Women and Child Development, has launched the Equity Economics Forum (EEF) in New York. The new platform aims to promote equity-centered economic policies across the Global South by placing equity at the core of macroeconomic and fiscal decision-making.
The Forum was launched on the sidelines of the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, positioning it as a citizen-led cooperation platform focused on strengthening collaboration among Global South countries. The initiative seeks to move equity considerations from the margins of social policy to the center of economic planning.
The launch event brought together leaders and experts from India, Kenya and Indonesia, highlighting the Forum’s Global South focus. Representatives from multilateral institutions and global organizations—including the United Nations, the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, international NGOs, academic institutions and private sector organisations—also participated in the event.
Speaking at the launch, Smriti Zubin Irani said, “Women-owned businesses today in the Global South face a credit gap of one trillion dollars. The business case for investing in women particularly exists in the Global South. The question is: when profit is to be made and equity made available by design, why the gap? And this is what we seek to answer through the Equity Economics Forum.”
She further added, “By 2050, the Global South is expected to account for 80 per cent of the world’s population. We must deliver on issues of equity and economics. By creating a shared cooperation platform, the EEF aims to help Global South countries move beyond fragmented, country-by-country approaches to equity-oriented budgeting and build a stronger collective voice in reshaping global fiscal thinking.”
The event featured a keynote address by Harriette Chiggai, Women’s Rights Advisor to the President of Kenya, and a special address by Arifah Choiri Fauzi, Minister of Women Empowerment and Child Protection, Government of Indonesia. Sonal Jaitly, Global Lead for Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion at MicroSave Consulting (MSC), also presented the framework of the Equity Economics Forum.
The Forum has been established under the leadership of the Alliance for Global Good, Gender Equity and Equality, in partnership with the Women’s Collective Forum. MicroSave Consulting (MSC) will serve as the knowledge partner and secretariat.
EEF will operate through four core pillars—Skills, Technology, Economy and Health—and aims to bring together governments, development institutions, civil society organisations and private sector leaders. The platform is expected to support policy dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaborative solutions that advance equity-led economic development across Global South nations.
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