“Time to put our money where our mouth is” - Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting to focus on funding gender equality
31 May 2007
One of the biggest international summits on gender equality this year will focus on funding – after a decade of decreasing financial support to NGOs working in this area.
The 8th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (8WAMM) will be held in Kampala, Uganda from 11 to 14 June 2007.
Representatives from 51 Commonwealth member countries, partner agencies and the private sector will convene to debate women’s rights and gender equality, under the umbrella of: “Financing Gender Equality for Development and Democracy.”
Ann Keeling, Director of the Social Transformation Programmes Division at the Secretariat said: “To me, 8WAMM’s theme couldn’t be more timely. It reflects the growing awareness that women’s rights and gender equality are being overlooked in the quest for development.
“Our message is that there can be no sustainable development if women and girls are left behind – it is time we put our money where our mouth is and invest in gender equality.”
In the Commonwealth, the impact of gender inequality is evident in
- maternal and infant deaths;
- rising HIV/AIDS prevalence among women and girls;
- more girls out of school than boys;
- the majority of people living in poverty being women; and
- the low percentage of female parliamentarians.
Citing “compelling evidence” of a dramatic dip in funding to NGOs championing women’s issues, Ms Keeling said their ability to advocate for gender equality and call governments to account had been severely hurt over the past 10 years.
But she added that a recent recommendation to establish a new, independent United Nations agency for women meant that the tide was finally turning.
The international community has recognised that there can be no development or aid effectiveness without gender equality, she said.
Around 300 delegates are expected at the four-day conference, which will address
- Tracking funds and enhancing resources for promoting gender equality
- Progress made on the Commonwealth Plan of Action (PoA) for Gender Equality 2005-2015
The Plan provides a framework for action in promoting gender equality within the Commonwealth to 2015. It reinforces the Commonwealth’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in its approach to gender equality.
This year represents the half-way mark to the MDG target end year of 2015. In this context, the ministerial meeting gives governments and development agencies across the Commonwealth an opportunity to take stock of the progress they have made so far and identify areas in which efforts need to be accelerated.
In his message prepared ahead of the meeting, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said: “Resources must be allocated to gender equality and to women’s rights if real progress is to be made.
“Areas for our involvement include supporting civil society and the women’s movement, and strengthening the structures and the capacity of those involved in promoting equality between the sexes.”
Recommendations from the Kampala meeting will be presented for endorsement to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda in November.
The Commonwealth is an association of 53 countries. Its nearly 2 billion citizens, about 30 per cent of the world's population, are drawn from the broadest range of faiths, races, cultures and traditions. The Commonwealth Secretariat, established in 1965, is the main intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth.
For further enquiries, please contact Manoah Esipisu, Deputy Spokesperson.
Mobile: +44 (0) 789 446 2021 or via E-mail at m.esipisu@commonwealth.int
Or
Julius Mucunguzi, Assistant Spokesperson, Africa on +44 792 229 9809 or via e-mail at: j.mucunguzi@commonwealth.int
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