“Any gender disadvantage in education is not only morally deficient but is also economically inefficient.” stated Guy Hewitt, the Barbados High Commissioner to the UK.
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“Any gender disadvantage in education is not only morally deficient but is also economically inefficient. Equal access to all forms of education is necessary for our development,” stated Guy Hewitt, the Barbados High Commissioner to the UK.
The High Commissioner was addressing a large audience gathered for a panel discussion to mark International Women’s Day. The event took place at Commonwealth headquarters in London on 8 March under the theme 'Sustained education of women and girls for their economic and political empowerment’.
Mr Hewitt stressed that holding on to “old patriarchy is a zero sum game” and noted that women, who make up more than half the global population, perform “two thirds of the hours worked and only receive one tenth of the salary”. He emphasised that education plays a crucial role in getting women involved in decision-making roles at the highest level.
“We have a responsibility to empower women not just because it’s the right thing to do but because it’s the necessary thing to do…Those in positions of power must be prepared to share it,” he said.
Delivering the opening remarks, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma noted the achievements made by the Commonwealth to advance gender parity, such as establishment of the new Women’s Forum at the leaders’ summit last year and the selection of The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, the first female Commonwealth Secretary-General, which he described as “a watershed moment”.
Mr Sharma underscored the barriers faced by women and girls, including violence and discrimination, child marriage, female genital mutilation, inadequate maternal and child health care and lack of access to education and training.
Pointing to this year’s Commonwealth Day theme, ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’, he said: “The oldest prejudice of mankind is against women. It cuts across cultures. It’s everywhere… We must put right all the ills against women for gender equality and for human dignity.”
Professor Rashida Manjoo from the University of Cape Town and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women described global statistics on women’s and girl’s participation in education as “concerning”. She said that more countries achieve parity in primary education, but in secondary education the number of female students falls drastically. She cited violence as the major issue.
“Misogyny and patriarchy are alive and well in many parts of the world. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by denial to the right to education with violence being both a cause and consequence.”
Professor Manjoo added: “Gender-based violence impedes sustainable development and undermines achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. In my view, states are not being held accountable for their failure to protect women and girls and promote their rights.”
Another member of the panel, Roberta Blackman-Woods, Member of the United Kingdom’s Parliament representing the City of Durham, advocated for the creation of a network of women parliamentarians to share best practice and ensure greater participation of women in the political sphere.
She urged universities to put aside more money and scholarships for women and that structural barriers, such as maternity leave and child care, are addressed to improve opportunities for women in the workplace. “We need to build a community for change so we will see more women MPs, heads of state and chief executives… We will not see full participation of women and girls if they aren’t given the same education as their male counterparts.”
The Commonwealth Secretariat is committed to advancing gender equality and supporting women in leadership roles. It has been closely associated with the promotion of gender-sensitive financial management and public spending, building on pioneering initiatives carried out in our member countries.
Among the Commonwealth Secretariat’s own staff, 56% of employees are female next to 44% male, of which female representation in senior management is around 60%.
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Improving access to education for women is not just right thing to do but necessary thing to do -H.E Hewitt, HC #Barbados #IWD2016
— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) March 8, 2016
#UK only has 29% of female parliamentary participation - still a long way to go! #IWD2016
— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) March 8, 2016
#IWD2016 panel discussion is now over - get in touch if you'd like to receive our women in leadership report. pic.twitter.com/hPML8gEE6y
— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) March 8, 2016
