Statement to mark International Women’s Day 2016 throughout the Commonwealth
Let us mark this International Women’s Day throughout the Commonwealth by celebrating the achievements of women and girls and by renewing and refreshing our total commitment to work to eliminate violence against women, provide quality education for girls and women, promote women’s central and vital role in building our societies, as we strive for gender equality and full political, social and economic empowerment to women.
In the words of our Commonwealth Charter, “The advancement of women’s rights and the education of girls are critical preconditions for effective and sustainable development.” The Commonwealth is home to more than one billion women and girls who are the key to our future—a future of respect, equality, peace and shared prosperity. Our Commonwealth Theme for 2016, ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’ also echoes the need for gender parity in decision making if we are to accomplish Sustainable Development Goal Five and build societies for their full potential that give dignity to all.
Barriers for women and girls should not exist in 2016, and yet inadequate child and maternal healthcare, harmful gender stereotypes, lack of access to education, training and employment opportunities, and discrimination resulting in the persistent gender pay and skill gaps still persist.
We work with governments, international institutions, NGOs, and women’s organisations to deepen the understanding and implementation of gender sensitive policies, particularly strategies to achieve measurable goals for women leaders.
We collaborate with UN Women and regional bodies such as the Africa Union to build the capacity of electoral management bodies to advance the participation of women in politics, and we have worked with the World Bank on promoting women in business. Our work on women’s leadership has resulted in more political participation of women with many Commonwealth countries having attained the 30 per cent benchmark.
In many instances, women and girls are still denied ownership or inheritance rights. Our work on land rights for women in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone helps to address this, as we developed legal handbooks to help women in these countries understand their rights to land and inheritance.
We convene triennial meetings of Commonwealth Ministers responsible for Women’s Affairs, annual meetings of Commonwealth Women’s National Machineries and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Women’s Forum, the first of which took place last November, marking a huge Commonwealth milestone towards greater inclusivity.
I am delighted that my successor, Patricia Scotland, will be the first woman to take up the position of Commonwealth Secretary-General. It is a watershed moment for the Commonwealth and a step in the direction the Commonwealth has championed. As she takes over, the Commonwealth Secretariat is already a world leader in gender balance among organisations.
The Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality has been a framework within which our member states collaborate to advance gender equality, building on progress, addressing emerging challenges, and responding to global changes. In this new era for global sustainable Development, the Commonwealth will build on gains from the Plan of Action to strengthen and align priorities on gender equality and women’s empowerment to national, regional and international targets.
International Women’s Day 2016: Ending global inequality in education
Social media
Join the conversation online: #IWD2016
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
#Commonwealth SG Sharma: delighted that @PScotlandQC will be 1st woman to take up position of CW Sec-Gen = watershed moment! #IWD2016
— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) March 8, 2016
