First ever Commonwealth Women’s Forum will call on member governments to meet a 30 per cent target for women in leadership and boost the number of female entrepreneurs.
The first ever Commonwealth Women’s Forum will call on member governments to meet a 30 per cent target for women in leadership and adopt strong initiatives to boost the number of female entrepreneurs.
The Forum, which will take place in Malta from 22 to 24 November ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), will also consider how legislation can help stop early and forced marriages.
Dr Clair Cassar, Chair of the Commonwealth Women’s Forum Organising Committee, said the meeting “is about sharing success stories and best practice in female empowerment across the Commonwealth”.
Amelia Kinahoi-Siamomua, Head of Gender at the Commonwealth Secretariat, described the Forum as “a pivotal opportunity to address important issues affecting women and girls,” including education, media, information technology, violence, and exclusion from leadership positions in politics, public bodies, private companies and the judiciary.
“We are now in 2015, and there has never been a more critical time to translate rhetoric to practical actions that make meaningful impact,” she said.
The Forum has been organised against a global backdrop of ongoing gender discrimination, despite efforts to change the status of women in government and business.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2015, released this week, shows some progress toward closing the gender gap in the political world, but highlights a ten year lag in annual income for women, with women only now earning what men did a decade ago.
Earlier this year, a Commonwealth report on women’s leadership revealed that only a handful of countries are meeting the 30 per cent target for representation in senior leadership positions. It also showed that the number of women on boards within the private sector remains below 25 per cent in many Commonwealth states.
Commonwealth Deputy-Secretary General Josephine Ojiambo said the issues affecting women are “deep and complex”.
“Unfortunately women are still the subject of institutionalised discrimination and inequities in many respects. Everyday millions of women needlessly die in childbirth, are victims of violence and female genital cutting, forced into marriages, and denied the opportunity to progress their careers.
“Gender equality must be a high priority for every head of government in the Commonwealth and beyond. Our aim is to urge leaders to implement robust policies to get more women into government and heading up private and public companies.”
Jointly organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Malta, the Women’s Forum will bring together ministers of women’s affairs, women’s rights activists, female members of parliament, young people, entrepreneurs, lawyers, civil society organisations and academics.
Participants will deliberate and recommend strategies, policies and targets for leaders to consider at CHOGM. The theme of the forum is Women Ahead Be All That You Can Be.
Dr Ojiambo stressed that the Commonwealth is ready to support its member governments to achieve the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals, which include a commitment from world leaders to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
“Ultimately we want to live in a world where we can say to our daughters: you will have access to quality education and you will not be forced into a marriage or subjected to violence…. A world where the glass ceiling is banished to history. We will honour your right to choose and chart the course of your life and we will not limit your aspirations.”
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