The 13th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (13WAMM) was held in Nassau, The Bahamas, from 21 to 23 August 2023. Delegations from 26 member countries attended the Meeting. The Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Hon. Philip Davis, KC, addressed the opening ceremony.
The Meeting was chaired by the Hon. Obediah Wilchcombe MP, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, The Bahamas, under the theme ‘Equality Toward a Common Future’. The first session was addressed by the Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and the Hon. Aisha Jumwa, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action, Kenya as the outgoing Chair of WAMM.
The 13th WAMM took place four years after the 12th Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (12WAMM) in 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya. During this time, the world has been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the accelerating impact of climate change, economic turmoil and political polarisation. These events have had a major impact on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls globally. Ministers reflected on these developments and shared progress and initiatives from their countries designed to strengthen gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
