Commonwealth women’s affairs ministers will meet in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 17 to 19 June 2013 under the banner ‘Women’s Leadership for Enterprise’.
The 10th Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting will be chaired by Meher Afroze Chumki, the newly-appointed State Minister for Women and Children Affairs, Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh will formally open the meeting, while Freda Miriklis, President of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women, will give the keynote speech.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said: “The new Commonwealth Charter recognises that gender equality and women’s empowerment are basic human rights and fundamental to development. It is smart economics to invest in women entrepreneurs and provide them with access to finance and markets. Women’s leadership helps nurture stable and sustainable economies.
“This meeting recognises the importance of creating a policy environment that enables women, through political and corporate leadership, to contribute to the economic advancement of their communities and countries.”
Over three days, delegates will explore women’s financial inclusion, leadership for democracy and enterprise and priorities for the global gender agenda after 2015, which is the target date for the Millennium Development Goals and the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality.
From 15 to 17 June, civil society participants will meet during the Partners’ Forum in Savar.
