The Commonwealth Women’s Forum agreed on an outcome document that addresses gender equality and women’s empowerment, including actions related to women in leadership; women’s economic empowerment; women and climate change; and violence against women and girls.
The CWF calls on Heads of Government to advance actions in all these areas, including to address gender and climate change in developing and small States through establishment of a Commission.
The Forum convened in London, UK, on the sidelines of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
18 April 2018: The Commonwealth Women’s Forum (CWF) 2018 focused on accelerating gender equality for sustainable development, prosperity and peace for all women and girls in the Commonwealth. Participants at the Forum, which convened on the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), agreed on an outcome statement on ‘An empowered future for women and girls.’
The Forum took place in London, UK, from 16-18 April 2018. In the outcome statement, the CWF requests Commonwealth Heads of Government to accelerate actions to invest, implement and track progress towards the SDGs, particularly SDG 5 (gender equality). CWF calls on the Heads to use the CHOGM Secretariat’s convening power to bring together a high-profile task force of champions to champion gender equality and promote women’s access to leadership positions across the Commonwealth. The Heads are also requested to invest in and increase technical and financial resources for data collection and analysis on SDG implementation.
CWF requests Heads to hold governments and businesses accountable on reaching the global target of 50% representation in decision-making at all levels, and to carry out a systemic review and repeal discriminatory laws. The statement recommends that all new laws be subject to a gender impact assessment on women’s rights and participation in leadership and economy.
Further on women in leadership, the outcome document underscores the role of women’s power and decision-making in all sectors of society as essential in achieving gender equality and implementing the SDGs. It identifies women’s lack of economic security and resulting poverty and their disproportionate role as care givers as barriers to women’s leadership and participation, and reiterates the importance of involving men and boys in changing attitudes and social norms to facilitate women’s meaningful participation. CWF urges Heads to promote gender equity in political parties and candidate selections, and to encourage election management bodies to develop gender sensitive policies.
On education and economic empowerment, CWF welcomes commitments to ensure access to a minimum of 12 years of free quality primary and secondary education, in line with SDG target 4.1. CWF calls on Heads to increase public spending on education, endorse the Girls’ Education Framework, and applaud the creation of the Girls’ Education Policy Lab. The CWF also calls on Heads to: create an enabling macroeconomic environment, including gender responsive budgeting and progressive tax regimes; recognize the economic value of unpaid care work; and lead global action on developing and implementing gender responsive trade policies and economic development, to ensure women can benefit equally from trade opportunities. CWF also requests Heads to call on business leaders to promote an accountable, socially responsible private sector in line with international standards and declarations, and to track progress towards this aim.
On women and climate change, the statement recognizes women as instrumental in solutions, and observes that women are at the greatest risk from death from climate events. CWF urges the Commonwealth to commit to establish a fully resourced Commission to address climate change in small States as a matter of priority.
On violence against women and girls, CWF calls on Heads to provide technical and financial resources to end violence against women and girls (VAWG), including through implementation of legal reforms, changing social attitudes and ensuring justice for survivors. The statement also calls on Heads to commission an independent review of violence against women in political and public life and in the home.
On sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), which was featured for the first time at CHOGM 2018, the CWF calls on Heads to: note that SRHR are inextricably linked to other universal human lives; ensure that women and young people have universal access to SRHR health care services by 2030, in line with SDG target 5.6; and highlight the disproportionate effects of human trafficking, domestic slavery, servitude and child exploitation on women and girls, in line with SDG target 5.2. CWF urges Heads to take actions to develop, resource and implement national actions plans aligned with the SDGs to deliver on commitments to eliminate child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation and cutting in line with the SDGs, particularly SDG target 5.3, and the Kigali Declaration. [CWF Webpage] [CWF Outcome Document] [Security Council Resolution 1325] [SDG Knowledge Hub story on CHOGM 2018] [SDG Knowledge Hub story on Commonwealth Youth Forum]