President Julius Maada Bio addressed the Commonwealth Women’s Forum on the theme, “Towards a Common Future for Women and Girls,” yesterday, Tuesday 17 April 2018. He said education creates vast opportunities for any country to reduce unfair income distribution, increase choices for all and create a strong ladder of opportunities for all.
The 2018 Women’s Forum session of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London is aimed at reflecting on some of the global challenges still faced by women as part of the a wider commitment to “Leave no one behind” in the Commonwealth journey in achieving gender equality by 2030.
The women’s forum session drew international delegates from the Commonwealth and the rest of the world to highlight women’s positive political, economic and societal contributions and establish how women and girls will be key to building sustainable and resilient societies. (www.chogm2018.org.uk/womens-forum). The first Commonwealth Women’s Forum (CWF) was held in Malta in the lead up to the November 2015 meetings as a response to a proposal from the 10th meeting of the Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Meeting of 2013.
According to the organizers, “The purpose of the CWF is to affirm high-level support and direct top-level policies for gender equality and women’s rights, for women to be given the opportunity to interact with leaders and for the Commonwealth’s commitments to gender equality to be positioned high on the agenda for Heads of Government.
The 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting comprises of four sessions including, Business Forum, People’s Forum, Youth Forum and Women’s Forum. The summit’s theme is, “Towards a common future’ is focused on building on the strengths of the Commonwealth in ensuring the organization is responsive to global challenges and delivers a more prosperous, secure, sustainable and fair future for all its citizens, particularly its young people.
During the Women’s Forum yesterday it was clearly demonstrated that gender equality, women’s rights, and women’s empowerment are goals and means towards achieving sustainable development as pursued through the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A substantive plenary session and parallel workshops sessions were organized to provide the opportunity for participants to focus on specific areas including, leadership, peace and security, economic empowerment, gender parity in education, ending violence against women and girls, and eliminating harmful cultural practices.
President Bio said, “Educating girls delivers health benefits as educated women have fewer children and the children they do have are healthier. I therefore commit my new Government to deliver 12 years of good quality education by 2030. I commit to ensuring that girls, children with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups have equal opportunities to complete the full circle of primary and secondary education,” he stressed.
The Business Forum is expected today with potential to increase intra-Commonwealth trade by 20% and can reduce the cost of doing business between member countries by up to 19%. This session will be held across the Guildhall and Mansion House in the City of London and Heads of Government, Ministers and global business leaders will address the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster.
This session is important that it will focus on six key areas on, accessing modern financial services, easing the pathway for business and growth, harnessing Commonwealth technology and innovation, creating a new attitude to sustainable business, mobilizing an export economy and attracting inward investment.
MK/17/4/18
By Mohamed Kabba,
Twitter: @chikakabba
Wednesday April 18, 2018.
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