In celebration of International Women's Day in 2019, the Minister of Finance and Development Cooperation of Belgium will present on why he has evolved from an unconscious to an active and staunch feminist.

De Croo will speak on why gender equality is the answer to many contemporary challenges: from digitization, globalization, and migration to the challenges of an aging population. Gender equality is not only the morally right thing to do, but it also makes economic sense. Societies with gender parity have faster-growing economies and gender-diverse companies are more productive with better bottom-lines. And just as importantly, gender equality will not only liberate women but also men. In order to succeed, we need more male feminists and a new wave of feminism: governments have to get rid of unfriendly women policies; companies have to open up on the gender pay gap and put more women in leading roles; societies have to question and fight (unconscious) bias. In order to make these changes possible, the digital transformation offers us a unique window of opportunity. For the first time in economic history, brains and creativity are more important than muscle and sweat. If we are serious about changing lives, De Croo explains how and why gender equality can become a top priority in all sectors of society.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.