DHAKA: Japan will host a women-focused international meeting next month where prominent business and political figures are to discuss how to link female participation in the workforce with economic growth.

Japan officials said Tuesday, reports The Straits Times.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and Cherie Blair, wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair, will be speakers at the ‘World Assembly for Women in Tokyo’ or ‘WAW! Tokyo’.

In an interview with the leading Nikkei business daily last month, Japan prime minister Shinzo Abe said the conference would be a ‘Davos meeting for women’, referring to the World Economic Forum event held annually in the Swiss city.

The meeting would run over two days from September 12 with about 100 prominent business and political figures including US ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and Disney Media Networks boss Anne Sweeney.

BDST: 1704 HRS, AUG 05, 2014