The Third Billion

As growing numbers of women enter the economic mainstream, they will have a profound effect on global business.

A huge and fast-growing group of people are poised to take their place in the economic mainstream over the next decade, as employees, employers, producers, and entrepreneurs. This group’s impact on the global economy will be at least as significant as that of the billion-plus populations in both China and India. But its members have not yet attracted the attention they deserve. China and India each represent 1 billion emerging participants in the global marketplace, and this group of the same size, this “third billion,” is made up of women, in both developing and industrialized nations.

Empowering the Third Billion: Women and the World of Work in 2012 by DeAnne Aguirre, Karim Sabbagh, Christine Rupp, and Leila Hoteit The economic potential of the Third Billion and the multiplier effects that its members could have on the global economy are significant. Our estimates indicate that if female employment rates were to match male rates in the United States, overall GDP would increase by 5 percent. In developing economies, the effect is even more pronounced. download the full report (1.8mb, PDF) >

Third Billion Index Rankings Booz & Company created the Third Billion Index, a ranking of 128 countries worldwide that is based on how effectively leaders are empowering women as economic agents in the marketplace. The index is a composite of established data on women’s economic and social status. The Third Billion Index is unique in that it focuses specifically on women in the world of work. download (113kb, PDF) >

Video: The Impact of the Third Billion with DeAnne Aguirre and Karim Sabbagh The potential impact of nearly 1 billion women entering the global labor force will be as significant as the impact of the billion-plus populations of either China or India. Watch this video to understand how global social and economic growth will rise with the tide of the Third Billion. watch video >

The Birth of the Third Billion When senior partners DeAnne Aguirre and Karim Sabbagh published “The Third Billion” in the Summer 2010 issue of strategy+business, they knew that they had tapped into a powerful concept. But they might not have guessed how much attention it would get. In the years after its publication, the concept steadily gained traction in the blogosphere.read more on strategy+business >

Educated, Ambitious, Essential: Women Will Drive the GCC’s Future As GCC countries make the transition from economies dependent on oil to economies driven by the insights and intellect of their nationals, one of the most valuable — and untapped — resources available is the economic energies of Gulf women.download (432kb, PDF) >

Women’s Employment in Saudi Arabia The Saudi government is making major efforts to improve the status of women in terms of employment. However, a number of social, legal, educational, and occupational factors continue to hinder Saudi women’s full participation in the labor market, preventing the Kingdom from reaching its full economic potential.read more >

Global Talent Innovation: Strategies for Breakthrough Performance Managing talent well creates value for companies — that’s the bottom line. To remain competitive, particularly in difficult times, they must not only cut costs, they must also get in line with the changing demographics of a more mobile, diverse, and global workforce.download (1.2mb, PDF) >

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  The Birth of the Third Billion
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  Educated, Ambitious, Essential: Women Will Drive the GCC’s Future
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  Women’s Employment in Saudi Arabia
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  Global Talent Innovation: Strategies for Breakthrough Performance