CHOGM: Calls for stronger action on gender equality

The Commonwealth Women’s Forum has opened in Sāmoa with calls for renewed action on achieving gender equality.

The forum, which got underway in Apia on Sunday, is part of the weeklong Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting or CHOGM.

A welcome sign to the village of Matafa'a in Sāmoa. Photo/CHOGM

The Commonwealth of Nations was formed to maintain an association between countries that had once been part of the British colonies.

There are 56 Commonwealth member states from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, and the Pacific - Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Sāmoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, New Zealand, and Australia.

About 4000 delegates are expected to gather in Apia this week for the discussions, which will include geopolitics and climate.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters, will attend CHOGM.

Sunday's women's forum also called for empowering all women and girls in the 56-member countries, representing one-third of humanity.

Hundreds of delegates examined the gains and gaping holes in progress in several key areas, the secretariat said.

This included getting women into leadership, ending violence, and addressing multiple forms of discrimination, including age, disability, identity, and poverty.

"Despite ongoing global efforts to improve the lives of women and girls, gender inequality remains widespread, affecting every corner of the world," a CHOGM official said in a statement.

"Over the next two days, delegates will come up with concrete proposals to present to Commonwealth leaders, urging them to put stronger measures in place to tackle barriers and biases that stand in the way of women’s progress."

Addressing the opening ceremony on Monday, Sāmoan Prime Minister and CHOGM 2024 chair Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, the first woman to lead a Pacific Island member country of the Commonwealth, pledged to advance these proposals.

Sāmoan Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa addresses the Joint Forums Opening Ceremony in Apia on Monday. Photo/CHOGM

“I look forward to the reports from the forums and take forward, as chair-in-office, some of these critical priorities you will present to leaders to set our compass for the future," she said.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland KC, the first woman to hold the post, promised to continue to put women at the centre of the organisation’s work.

Reflecting on the musical performances of the opening ceremony, Scotland said she remembered the voices of women and girls singing in harmony with supportive men and boys, adding that this unity was reflected in the diverse composition of the delegates at the forum.

“A day like this reminds us that women are at the core of progress across our Commonwealth.

“Yet, despite these successes, women continue to face significant hurdles.

“In far too many places, violence against women persists. Income inequality, structural discrimination, and the exclusion of women from leadership opportunities still plague our world.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland addresses the women's forum in Apia. Photo/CHOGM

Scotland said addressing these obstacles was not only a matter of justice but also a route to development.

She added that women’s participation was necessary for building prosperous and peaceful societies.

“On our own, we are invisible. Together, we are invincible,” she said, urging the delegates to work together to make gender equality not just an aspiration, but a reality for all.

Samoa’s Minister for Women, Community and Social Development, Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molio’o, agreed there was a need for urgent action.

“We are not just here to talk. We are here to take action. Together, we are unstoppable. Together, we hold the power to drive meaningful, lasting change across the Commonwealth and the world.”

The forum also discussed the women’s role in addressing environmental challenges.

Photo/CHOGM

Experts from government, environmental groups, and civil society will explore ways to close gaps in representation, data, and financing to ensure that women are fully engaged in climate action, from policymaking to implementation.

The Bahamas’ Minister of Social Services, Information and Broadcasting, Myles K. Laroda, shared his country’s experience with category five Hurricane Dorian.

“Many people displaced by [Hurricane] Dorian were women and girls,” he said. “This underscores the urgent need for gender-responsive climate action. We must invest in women and girls as transformative agents of change.”

Forum speakers included Tuvaluan Prime Minister Feleti Penitala Teo, women’s affairs ministers, and representatives of women’s advocacy organisations.

They will also address the theme, ‘Collective Action for a Resilient Commonwealth: Solidarity for Gender Equality’.

The Women’s Forum ends on Tuesday. CHOGM ends on Saturday.

PMN News Political Reporter 'Alakihihifo Vailala is in Apia covering CHOGM.