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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Progress in Gender Equality Under Scrutiny by Commonwealth Ministers

18 April 2000

Progress on the Commonwealth efforts on gender equality will come under scrutiny when ministers and senior officials from over 40 Commonwealth countries meet in New Delhi from 16-19 April 2000 for the sixth meeting of Commonwealth Ministers Responsible for Women's Affairs. The Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will open the Meeting and Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon will deliver the keynote address.

The Meeting comes five years after the 1995 Beijing UN World Conference on Women, Equality and Peace and will provide the opportunity for Commonwealth countries and the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat to review achievements, share experiences and lessons learned, identify and adapt new challenges. The Commonwealth's vision for the development of equality for both women and men is guided by its own 1995 Plan of Action on Gender and Development and its Update (2000-2005). This vision is informed by the Commonwealth's fundamental values of democracy and good governance, human rights, the rule of law and people-centred development.

Mr McKinnon, who assumed office on 1 April, will present to Ministers a report on the progress achieved so far and the challenges faced by the Commonwealth in implementing the 1995 Plan of Action. An update of the Plan, which has already been endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting in Durban in November 1999, will also be formally tabled. This update provides a guide for action on critical issues beyond 2000. It particularly addresses global developments that have specific impact on women's lives and their roles in sustainable development. The Update forms part of the Commonwealth contribution to the forthcoming June 2000 Special Session of the UN General Assembly which will review the global performance on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.

The ministers' discussions will also focus on: closing the gender gap through taking gender considerations into account at all levels (including in national budgets); ensuring that both women and men benefit from the opportunities of the globalisation of trade; working for the elimination of inequality and discrimination as well as violence against women; ensuring women, who suffer greatly in armed conflict, are active in peace processes; strategies for increasing the level of women's participation in political decision-making; the impact of HIV/AIDS; and issues of male participation and marginalisation (that is, where it is men who are suffering a gender gap).

Observers from the official Commonwealth Associations, regional and international organisations are also expected to attend. A parallel NGO forum is being organised by the Commonwealth Women's NGO Network from 14-19 April 2000.

 

00/23          13 April 2000

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