Commonwealth Secretariat
  1. 8WAMM Home
  2. Summit Details
  3. Theme
    1. Background and significance
    2. Objectives
  4. Focus Areas
    1. Gender, Democracy, Peace & Conflict
    2. Gender, HIV and AIDS
    3. Gender, Human Rights and the Law
    4. Gender, Poverty Eradication and Economic Empowerment
  5. Programme
    1. NGO Forum Events
  6. Partners’ Forum 2007
  7. Previous WAMMs
  8. Papers
    1. 8WAMM Planning Meeting Documents
  9. Articles
  10. Uganda Information

Background and significance

Women’s Affairs Ministers Meetings (WAMMs) are held triennially. The Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon is responsible for organising 8WAMM which is serviced by the Commonwealth Secretariat in London

The previous meeting, 7WAMM, was held in Fiji Islands from 30 May - 2 June 2004, where ministers agreed the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005-2015 (PoA).

8WAMM is of strategic importance for a number of reasons. It is the third WAMM to take place in Africa, the previous two were held in Nairobi (1985) and Harare (1987). It is the first WAMM being held since the new PoA was agreed by Ministers at 7WAMM (2004), presented to the UN Beijing+10 Global Review, and endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) at their meeting in Malta 2005.

Finally, it is being held five months prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the same host country, Uganda, which offers potential for bringing women’s empowerment and gender equality to the attention of leaders in the Commonwealth.