Delegates calls for global efforts to promote gender equality, women's rights

KIGALI, July 18 (Xinhua) 

Delegates attending the Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023) in the Rwandan capital of Kigali have called for global concerted efforts to promote gender equality and women's rights across all nations of the world.

They were speaking at the formal opening ceremony of WD2023 Monday, with the attendance of more than 6,000 delegates, including several heads of state and government, senior government officials, UN representatives, gender experts and activists.

"All the challenges the world faces, women are often on the wrong side. If we come together, we need to address these issues. We have an opportunity, as sisters and brothers, to discuss the steps we need to take. Sisterhood is important," said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, chair of the board at Women Deliver.

Speaking at the event, UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous stated that the UN is committed to ensuring the continuous growth and strength of the women's movement through solidarity.

"Women Deliver, being the largest community of feminists within the women's movement and its allies, represents an unstoppable force. We are here because we firmly believe in the power and urgency of gender equality. We come together to celebrate and further develop the women's movement, applauding those who have already broken glass ceilings and charting a path toward shattering even more," she said.

She highlighted that there is a regression in sexual and reproductive health rights, an increase in gender-based violence and discrimination, and deeply ingrained misogyny, all occurring in an era of multiple crises, including climate change and the COVID-19 recovery.

In this context, the urgency of power and the imperative of equality could not be more pronounced.

"Commitments which are not followed by action cannot fulfill our promise to build a more just equitable and prosperous future for the generations that follow us. Much more remains to be done to tackle biased attitudes about gender which are deeply embedded in our political, social and economic systems," said Rwandan President Paul Kagame while speaking at the conference.

According to him, in recent decades, there have been meaningful results in closing the gap between women and men in terms of opportunity and achievement, still across the globe women remain vulnerable to various forms of injustice and are more often employed in the informal sector or even expected to provide unpaid labor.

"These inequalities have been exacerbated by some political pushback movements in certain contexts," added Kagame.

He pointed out that women and girls have borne a disproportionate share of the burden of the overlapping health, climate, and economic crises which the world has faced over the past few years.

Kagame highlighted that Rwanda has created an enabling environment for women to be equally represented in leadership positions, including in politics and at all levels.

"Our priorities are to advance gender equality across all sectors, especially digital and financial inclusion, and to continue challenging traditional gender norms. A key tool we have mainstreamed in Rwanda is the annual gender budget statement," he added.

Speaking at the event, Senegalese President Macky Sall emphasized that both men and women need to make progress and move forward together in the same direction.

"Unfortunately, women have been held back, just like (in) Africa, by historical factors, dominant mindsets, and mentalities. Therefore, we must make efforts to ensure that African women and women worldwide have equal rights," he added.

The Women Deliver Conference, the largest convening for gender equality in the world, is the first of its kind to be held on the African continent and runs through Thursday.

It will feature conversations with stakeholders from around the world, breaking barriers, addressing challenges, and identifying opportunities to advance gender equality, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.