LONDON (CU)_Participating in the inaugural meeting of the Commonwealth Women’s Ministers Action Group earlier this week, the women’s affairs ministers and other delegates reaffirmed their support for women’s empowerment and gender equality across the Commonwealth.
Those present at the meeting also backed statement made by the ministers of women’s affairs back in 2019, in which they endorsed a robust strategy which would enable the 54 member-states of the Commonwealth to achieve gender equality by 2030. The delegates agreed to place the issues faced by women at the top of the agenda at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which has been postponed once again on account of the surge in COVID-19 infections globally. According to the Commonwealth Secretariat, leaders of the association will table this ministers’ statement at the Meeting which is due to be held in Rwanda.
Speaking at the meeting, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland highlighted the disproportionate impact the Coronavirus pandemic has had on women and girls, and how it has threatened to reverse the progress made towards achieving gender equality.
“Quite apart from the immediate unequal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls, there is an even more insidious potential outcome,” she said. “COVID-19 threatens to roll back the hard-won progress towards gender equality that we have fought for over many decades. Mobilising collective political will is key to safeguarding the progress and changing the pace of efforts towards gender equality.”
Nevertheless, she noted that the pandemic presents Commonwealth countries with an ideal opportunity to elevate women to positions of influence “as insurance” in responding to the global health crisis.
The Secretary-General also shared a host of Commonwealth initiatives with the delegates, which are expected to accelerate positive action on issues that are impeding the progress of women. They included the Commonwealth Says NO MORE campaign, which was launched against domestic and sexual abuse, with the aim of eliminating gender discriminatory laws and proposed the evaluation of the economic cost of gender-based violence.
Speaking during the meeting, Prof Margaret Kobia, Cabinet Secretary for Kenya’s Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender, also highlighted the significant impact the pandemic has had on women and girls.
“Across every sphere, the pandemic is worsening prospects for women and girls simply by virtue of their sex,” she said. “More women than men are at risk of losing jobs, domestic violence has risen rapidly under lockdowns, and an additional 11 million girls may leave school and not return by the end of the crisis.”
She added: “We must use this opportunity to learn from each other, and to help shape the COVID-19 recovery efforts in our countries to ensure that women and girls are not further disadvantaged in the crisis.”
