Commonwealth explores ways to promote gender equality

Ways in which open and distance learning (ODL) can contribute to public sector reform and gender mainstreaming will be addressed at a Commonwealth workshop taking place next week.

Around 40 participants from government departments, universities and international organisations will meet from 21 to 22 July at the Commonwealth’s headquarters in London.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma welcomed the opportunity to commit resources needed to support effective, participatory and regularised gender training for public servants and senior managers across the Commonwealth.

“Good governance can only be fully attained if women are included, engaged and have a voice in the ways in which decisions are taken that affect them, and the ways in which governments can be held accountable to the whole of their electorate,” said Mr Sharma.

The initiative, according to Mr Sharma, also seeks to strengthen National Women's Machineries and the public sector as a whole, which in line with the critical areas defined by a Plan of Action for Gender Equality which Commonwealth Heads of Government endorsed when they met in Malta in 2005.

Findings and recommendations from a March 2008 research study on gender mainstreaming and good governance put together by ‘Networked Intelligence for Development,’ will also be examined at during the workshop.

This study advocates the use of the internet for widespread and comprehensive gender training as well as showcasing the importance of gender mainstreaming in good governance and public sector reform. It also highlights the potential of ODLs to facilitate the effective delivery of training for public sector workers.

The University of Papua New Guinea, the Tanzania Global Development Learning Centre, ActionAid International, Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, and the Zambian Open University will all be represented by participants at the workshop.

Key Links:

• Gender