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The fourth Commonwealth Women’s Forum will be held in Apia, Samoa between 21-22 October 2024 on the margins of the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Collective Action for a Resilient Commonwealth: Solidarity for Gender Equality
The Commonwealth Women's Forum brings together delegates from around the Commonwealth to highlight women’s political, economic and societal contributions while identifying policies to advance gender equality and peace for all.
Outcomes from the forum will inform discussions among Commonwealth leaders on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment – helping to ensure that women and girls are included at the highest level of decision-making on issues directly affecting them.
The programme includes lead-up consultative events, substantive plenary sessions and parallel workshops, providing the opportunity for participants to focus on four priority areas, namely:
- Women in leadership
- Women’s economic empowerment
- Gender and climate change
- Ending violence against women and girls
Set up in 2015, the Commonwealth Women’s Forum sits alongside three other stakeholder meetings – the Commonwealth Business Forum, Youth Forum and People’s Forum.
Livestreams
All livestreams are available on the Radio 2AP YouTube channel
Programme
7am - 8:30am - Joint Forums Opening CeremonyLocation - Mulinu'u Bay |
9am - 10:30am - Opening Plenary
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10:30am - 11am - Networking and Refreshment Break |
11am - 12:30pm - Opening Plenary continued: Women in LeadershipIn conversation:
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12:30pm - 2pm - Networking Lunch |
2pm - 5pm - Parallel Session A: Gender & Climate ChangeKeynote Address: Context Setting Presentation: The Rationale for Collaboration on Gender-responsive Climate Action Aishwarya Pillai, Lead Specialist- Infrastructure for Resilience Island States (IRIS), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) World Café Dialogue Group 1: Bridging the knowledge gap on the gendered impacts of climate change Group 2: Increased access and deployment of gender-responsive climate finance Group 3: Strengthened leadership and decision-making power for women and men in climate action Group 4: Integrating the needs of the most vulnerable in climate action including indigenous people, persons with disability and youth. Facilitator: Abiola Sunmonu, Adviser and Head – Africa, The Commonwealth Secretariat Networking break • Hon Lenora Qereqeretabua MP, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fiji • Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago, Regional Director, Oceania Regional Office, International Union for Conservation of Nature • Brianna Fruean, Advocate, Commonwealth Youth Award winner (climate change), Samoa • Delphine Serumaga, UN Women Multi-Country Office Representative for the Pacific Moderator: Ruth Kattumuri, Senior Director, EYSD, The Commonwealth Secretariat Closing Remarks and Way Forward Unnikrishnan Nair, Assistant Director of Climate Change, Commonwealth Secretariat |
2pm - 5pm - Parallel Session B: Ending Violence Against Women and GirlsKeynote Address: 1st Panel Discussion Panellists will share examples of effective ending VAWG policies, programmes and initiatives which are grounded in the local context.
Word Cloud Session Summary |
5pm - 5:45pm - Pacific Leadership for Gender Equality & Women’s EmpowermentA discussion on the Pacific’s regional approach to gender equality and women’s empowerment Keynote Address: Panel Discussion
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5:45pm - 6pm - LaunchPola Puipui Samoa National Prevention Framework, prevention framework for ending gender-based violence -‘Let it End with Me’
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6pm - 9pm - Manaia Women Maketi (Night Market) |
9am - 10:30am - Day 2 Plenary – Leaving No One Behind1st Panel Discussion Session will create the space to hear from a range of voices on the ways in which gender inequality interacts with other forms of disadvantage
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10:30am - 10:45am - Networking and Refreshments Break |
10:45am - 12:20pm - Day 2 Plenary – Leaving No One Behind2nd Panel Discussion Session will consider an enabling environment for greater inclusion
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12:30pm - 1:30pm - Networking Lunch |
1:30pm - 3:30pm - Parallel Session C: Digital Inclusion: The Dynamic Opportunities and DangersKeynote Address: Interactive item Panel Discussion To consider both the potential of and the risks of digital technology in furthering gender equality and women’s empowerment.
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1:30pm - 3:30pm - Parallel Session D: Women’s Economic EmpowermentPresentation of TCS Research findings Research on Women-owned MSME’s Access to Finance in the Pacific Islands Panel Discussion Panel discussion on research findings and how women entrepreneurs can build and scale-up
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3:30pm - 3:45pm - Networking and Refreshments Break |
3:45pm - 4:50pm - Women at the Heart of Change: Leading Resilience and InnovationHigh-level Closing Panel:
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4:50pm - 5pm - Outcomes of the Commonwealth Women’s Forum & Closing RemarksArjoon Suddhoo, Deputy Secretary-General, Commonwealth Secretariat |
Evening - Reception |
Registration to attend the 2024 Women’s Forum is now closed.
For further information, please email [email protected].
Back to the CHOGM home page
Learn more about our gender work
Fast Facts on Gender Equality in the Commonwealth (PDF)
Webinars
Ahead of the Women’s Forum in Apia, Samoa, the Commonwealth Secretariat hosted two events to make consultations as inclusive as possible. These include:
Event 1: Women’s economic empowerment - a key component for development
10 March 2024
This hybrid event was held on 10 March 2024 to consult governments and women’s rights groups on ways to empower women in the economy as a means towards achieving sustainable development.
Held alongside the 68th Session of the United Nations Consultations on the Status of Women in New York City, the event was attended by more than 120 delegates from more than 20 Commonwealth countries.
Event 2: What is working in ending gender-based violence (GBV) in the Commonwealth
4 June 2024
This virtual event was a platform for Commonwealth governments and civil society groups to showcase innovative initiatives that have successfully reduced cases of gender-based violence.
It also facilitated the sharing of good practices and the latest research guiding national response to gender-based violence. Recommendations from this event will inform deliberations at the Commonwealth Women’s Forum in October. Read more about this event.
Watch recordings from the event