b'Soroptimist InternationalReport for the High-Level Political Forum RecommendationsSoroptimist International recommends that Governments, with the support and partnership of other stakeholders, take the following actions to ensure the economic empowerment of women and girls and the eradication of economic inequality: In collaboration with IFIs develop, fund and staff COVID-19 response and recovery plans that focuses on care and equality and need to remake our economic systems to facilitate just transitions to sustainable economieswithdecentworkforeveryone.Thedevelopment,implementation,monitoringand evaluation of these plans should ensure womens full, equal, effective and meaningful participation and leadership.Scholarshipprogrammesthataretargetedtowardswomenandgirls,particularlythosewhohave experiencedvulnerabilities,mustbeexpanded and developed.Thisincludesimprovingscholarship access for women and girls from lower and middle income countries. Increase the use of cash awards, including scholarships, microloans and microfinancing, that recognise that the women recipients are best placed to know how that money would best benefit them. In-kind donations or vouchers, limit women, are not nuanced enough to know their individual reality, and can fail to address the barriers that are actually inhibiting economic empowerment. Expand education and training opportunities for women and girls, ensuring they have access to all levels of education throughout their life course. Older women, women in the justice system, and women who have experienced abusive labour conditions should not be left behind. Regardless of age, all people have a right to education, to fill gaps in their essential education and should have the opportunity to retrain to maximise economic opportunity and sustainability. Policies on childcare must be reformed so that all women who want to work can. All child care services must be free or affordable.Education and economic empowerment programmes should be considered essential for supporting the psychosocial rehabilitation of survivors of gender-based violence. These services must increase their collaboration to ensure participants are able to access both the psychosocial and educational support they need. Efforts to identify women working in abusive labour conditions, as trafficked workers, as indentured servants or under conditions of modern day slavery must be increased. Any women and girls identified must be given free educational opportunities, including retraining opportunities, and be fully supported after education to access safe economic opportunities. Employers who exploit women in any way must be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable.21'