Message by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma: ‘The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum in the Commonwealth’
London, 8 March 2013 ‒ When we refer to: ‘The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum in the Commonwealth’, it goes beyond being our theme for International Women’s Day (8 March), and is more than simply a slogan. It serves as a progress report on what has been achieved, and on work in hand. It signals our desire to intensify our efforts as we move ahead.
By bringing ever sharper focus to equality of opportunity, and using the collective voice of our 54 member states, we are able to heighten awareness, initiate practical action, and make a difference in the lives and livelihoods of more than one billion women in Commonwealth nations.
Through joint action, our member states bring their collective influence to bear globally in ways that advance the rights of women. An example of this is our engagement with the G20. There are five Commonwealth members of the G20. By collaborating with them, and with successive G20 presidencies, the Commonwealth helps bring inclusively to the G20 table the concerns and priorities of all our members, particularly the smallest and most vulnerable.
Empowering women to be agents of change is critical in making progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. It will continue to be of utmost importance in agreeing the post-2015 global development framework, and in taking action to see its goals achieved.
This is the first International Women’s Day since the new Charter of the Commonwealth was adopted by our Heads of Government. Let me quote what the Charter says under the heading of Gender Equality:
“We recognise that gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential components of human development and basic human rights. The advancement of women’s rights and the education of girls are critical preconditions for effective and sustainable development.”
The Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting, which takes place in Bangladesh in June, has a special role in addressing issues of equality and opportunity for women. For the gender agenda to continue gaining momentum in the Commonwealth it is also necessary to consider these topics at other Commonwealth ministerial meetings whenever possible, and to integrate awareness of them into all our Secretariat programmes. An example of this was when Commonwealth finance ministers discussed gender sensitive budgeting. That is the meaning of ‘mainstreaming’ of gender issues in the Commonwealth.
When Commonwealth youth ministers meet in Papua New Guinea this April they will look at a range of approaches to widening opportunities for girls and young women. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka in November will consider how the three ‘Ds’ of the Commonwealth - democracy, development, and respect for diversity - can be advanced, with attention to the inclusion of women at local, national, regional, and international levels.
International Women’s Day draws our attention to the rights, respect and opportunities women must possess as half of humanity, to their being integral to the welfare and resilience of all our communities. With this at the forefront of our minds, and with renewed consciousness of the limitless potential to be unlocked, the Commonwealth is committed to lifting its contribution, to gaining momentum for the gender agenda.
