Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women has announced revolutionary commitments and a Global Acceleration Plan for Gender Equality to advance gender equality by 2026.
The Generation Equality Forum which was held in Paris, France was used to outdoor the bold gender equality commitments and launch of a global five-year action journey to accelerate gender equality by 2026.
The advocacy would be under-written by nearly USD 40 billion of confirmed investments as well as ambitious policy and programme commitments from governments, philanthropy, civil society, youth organizations and the private sector.
Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka explained, “Gender equality advocates have pressed for gender-responsive stimulus and recovery plans to ensure that women and girls are not left behind as the world re-builds.
“The Generation Equality Forum marks a positive, historic shift in power and perspective. Together we have mobilized across different sectors of society, from south to north, to become a formidable force, ready to open a new chapter in gender equality”.
She said the UN Women would play a critical role to drive the Forum’s Five-year action journey, overseeing the implementation of commitments to ensure accountability and progress over the period.
Speaking to mark the close of the Forum for the Government of France, Ambassador and Secretary General of the Generation Equality Forum Delphine O rpt. O said, “After two years of collective work with Member States, civil society, philanthropic and private organizations, we succeeded in raising the largest amount of investment to advance gender equality and women’s rights ever.
“By implementing a new way of tackling global issues through efficient multilateralism, the Generation Equality Forum reversed the priorities on the international agenda and made gender equality, for too long underestimated, a long-term issue for the international community, along with climate, education and health. France will continue to be at the forefront to accelerate gender equality progress.”
The United States Government’s committed range of significant policies and investment requests including; an investment of USD one billion to support the programmes to end violence against women, and USD 175 million to prevent and respond to gender-based violence globally.
The expansion of the Global Alliance for Care, initiated by the Government of Mexico and UN Women. This now includes; over 39 countries; for example, the Government of Canada’s commitment of USD 100 million to address inequalities in the care economy globally, as a parallel to significant investment in its own care system.
The Malala Fund’s commitment to provide at least USD 20 million in feminist funding to girls’ education activists P&G’s commitment to advance women’s economic justice and rights through its global value chain by spending USD 10 billion with women-owned and women-led businesses through 2025.
The Forum also launched a Compact on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action, and announced new gender equality initiatives focused on health, sports, culture, and education.
Reflecting on the Forum, African Union Goodwill Ambassador on Ending Child Marriage Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, said it was time to invest in girls and young women even more – for resources to reach rural and marginalized communities.
The Forum in Paris, held 30 June – 2 July, engaged nearly 50,000 people in a mainly virtual format to generate action for the rapid advancement of gender justice.
