NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – Women’s affairs ministers from Commonwealth countries have committed to a roadmap designed to scale up efforts to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls, especially in climate action.
The roadmap resulted from three-day deliberations among ministers at this week’s triennial Commonwealth meeting.
It was also shaped by input from various stakeholders, including domestic violence survivors, civil society representatives, and women with disabilities.
Specific provisions include:
- An enhanced role of women in climate finance.
- Increased support for women with disabilities.
- More economic opportunities for women.
- Better representation in decision-making.
- More excellent protection from gender-based violence.
The roadmap encapsulates the outcome statement issued by ministers representing 2.5 billion Commonwealth people after meeting earlier this week.
Next year, leaders will consider this roadmap at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa.
After the meeting, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland KC, said the roadmap was “essential” because millions of women and girls “are disproportionately impacted by injustice, climate change, violence, and discrimination.”
“The outcomes of the meeting send a clear message that the Commonwealth is determined to lead by example towards ensuring women and girls are not left behind in our efforts to achieve sustainable development and climate justice. What we achieved here will enable us all to deliver today, and it will help to shape a better tomorrow for the benefit of the 2.5 billion people living in our Commonwealth,” she said.
To support the roadmap’s implementation, ministers endorsed a framework for reporting on Commonwealth priorities for gender equality.
The Commonwealth Secretariat will use this framework to regularly assess progress based on set indicators and coordinate necessary measures through a ministerial action group to tackle challenges disrupting the positive momentum.
Acknowledging that climate change disproportionately affects women and girls, ministers shared good practices that supported women and girls in overcoming the impacts in their respective countries.
Ministers and senior officials also called on the Commonwealth to advocate for an inclusive ‘Loss and Damage Fund’ that equitably supports the needs of women and girls.
The meeting was chaired by Obediah Wilchcombe, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development of The Bahamas.
“We have a roadmap from this meeting, which we [The Bahamas] and other countries will follow. Because it would not make too much sense three years from now to return saying the same old thing. What we want to do is to make a real difference. We are pleased that this meeting sets us up on a higher plane and at a faster pace to follow this roadmap,” he noted.
Recognizing the significance of engaging men and boys in preventing and combating gender-based violence, ministers welcomed the launch of Secretary-General Patricia Scotland’s ‘For the Women in my Life’ campaign.
To be rolled out across the Commonwealth, the campaign will take a culturally sensitive approach towards involving men and boys in addressing violence against women and girls as active allies.
In their statement, ministers also highlighted the need to collect and analyze sex-disaggregated data to develop and target evidence-based solutions more accurately.
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