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Women’s affairs ministers will meet virtually on 10 May to review and strengthen action on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Commonwealth Secretariat is partnering with Google for a virtual event to discuss the experiences of women and girls in obtaining the skills to thrive in the digital world.
As part of a series of virtual events to celebrate International Women’s Day and Commonwealth Day last week, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, was joined in conversation by Kate Gilmore, Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy of Harvard University.
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In Conversation: Secretary-General Patricia Scotland QC and Kate Gilmore share their journeys as women leaders
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has today been recognised with an award for her work on gender equality and the empowerment of women in Kenya and the Commonwealth.
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Secretary-General Receives Kenyan Gender Equality Award
Among the greatest gifts with which I have been blessed were parents who instilled in me a deep-rooted sense of identity, and the unequivocal belief that there was no difference between what a boy and a girl could achieve.
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International Women’s Day: To change the world, women must choose to challenge
The Secretary-General has praised the leadership of women across the Commonwealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and says it is vital they keep up the momentum as equal partners in driving recovery.
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Women show the way to COVID-19 resilience, says Commonwealth Secretary-General
8 March 2021 to 8 March 2021
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On International Women’s Day, the Commonwealth Secretariat will host a virtual event to put a spotlight on women’s leadership in responding to COVID-19 and charting an equitable recovery.
5 March 2021 to 5 March 2021
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In the lead up to International Women’s Day, the Commonwealth Secretariat will be celebrating women’s contributions to ocean science. Secretary General Baroness Scotland will introduce this special web event highlighting inspiring stories of women from across the Commonwealth who are challenging gender norms through their work in ocean industries.
The Commonwealth Secretariat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with eXXpedition, a non-profit organisation that runs all-women sailing expeditions to research the causes of, and solutions to, marine plastic pollution.
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Commonwealth joins forces with all-women sailing crew to fight plastic pollution
The Gambia has announced plans to launch a national ‘NO MORE’ campaign against domestic and sexual violence.
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The Gambia announces plans to launch national ‘NO MORE’ campaign against domestic violence
To mark Human Rights Day, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland writes about the need for legislation and policies to ensure that wherever possible girls remain in school. Girls generally experience more barriers to education than their male counterparts, and this has been exacerbated yet further by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Opinion: Commonwealth Secretary-General says Covid-19 threatens girls’ access to education
Violence against women and girls is pervasive. The Pacific is not immune, with prevalence rates of violence against women and girls in most of the region’s countries much higher than the global average of 35 per cent.
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Blog: Samoa’s response to violence against women and girls can guide other countries
The Commonwealth Secretary-General led a panel of government, civil society and tech industry representatives in condemning the “silent pandemic” of online abuse directed at women.
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Panel calls for an end to cyber-bullying
From Fiango Kumba in the South West region of Cameroon to Mumius Kakamega county in Western Kenya, two different but interwoven stories emerge of young people committed to ensuring peace in their communities and beyond.
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Blog: How young people are leading the march towards peace and security
The Commonwealth advocates sport as a vehicle for development and peacebuilding. Given its popularity and unequivocal prominence in the rich tapestry of the Commonwealth’s heritage, sport has huge potential to drive social change – and accelerate gender equality – across member states.
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Blog: How sport can fight gender-based violence
Gender-based violence is prevalent throughout the Commonwealth. It impacts the social, economic and psychological wellbeing of individuals and communities. Violence against women and girls in particular is usually underreported.
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Blog: Engaging men and boys to end gender-based violence
Workplace harassment is an epidemic that blights the lives of women and girls around the world in formal and informal ‘workplace’ spheres. It is used to discriminate against or violate the human rights of over half of the world’s population.
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Blog: Employers creating safe spaces to prevent harassment at work
Although often overlooked, there is a stark gender dynamic to terrorism and violent extremism. In 2018, Commonwealth Heads of Government encouraged the active involvement of women in finding solutions to violent extremism.
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Blog: Trivialising misogyny in terrorism is dangerous but tackling gender assumptions can prevent violent extremism
The first instinct of women planning to escape violence is to reach the police and justice system for protection. As they take the brave step to report, often they are met with a failing system.
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Blog: Justice system should not fail in protecting victims of gender-based violence
If you are a woman and want to work or operate on an equal footing with men, it is almost certain the laws in your country will hinder your right to do so.
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Blog: ‘Time’s up’ – Countries should reform laws that discriminate against women
Despite the regulation of international laws and national efforts to prevent and deal with family violence, women in New Zealand remain at risk in their homes. This changed in April 2019 when the New Zealand parliament became the first in the Commonwealth to pass national legislation granting victims of domestic violence 10 days of paid leave.
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Blog: New Zealand is first in Commonwealth to grant paid domestic violence leave - other countries should follow suit
Today, people across the globe will pause to focus on one of the most persistent and vicious epidemics in our history: AIDS. Three letters that have caused unprecedented suffering and loss across generations and around our world.
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World AIDS Day: Eliminating triple threat of HIV, gender-based violence and cervical cancer
Beyond the immediate human impact, violence against women and girls also costs billions of dollars a year, be it in lost work, damaged children, hospital fees or police time. The global cost of violence against women and girls was estimated at $1.5 trillion in 2016 – making everyone across the world at least $200 poorer that year.
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Blog: Ending violence against women and girls can add trillions to economy
Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, it was clear that the pandemic was not only a health crisis but also an economic threat. Little did we know that the impact of COVID-19 containment measures and economic pressures would be felt across communities with violence in the homes, particularly against women, rising at an alarming rate.
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Blog: COVID puts women in tourism-dependent economies at more risk of violence, but it can stop
Today, many women and girls are trapped in cycles of abuse, struggling to find an escape route. This is a tragedy, not just for them personally, but for the whole of society.
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Blog: We need ‘one-stop’ crisis centres to rescue women trapped in cycles of abuse