The Center for Global Development (CGD) and Women in Global Health (WGH) on September 14th, 2021, hosted an event with experts on the Generation Equality Forum outcomes, focused on those from the Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition. The experts were Jamille Bigio, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Gender Equality, USAID; Shungu Gwarinda, Director of Programs, The Graça Machel Trust; Lisa Williams, Senior Analyst and Team Lead, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, OECD and Anita Zaidi, President of Gender Equality, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.Â
The Womens’ Economic Empowerment – CDCÂ virtual Event.Â
Their discussions explored needed next steps to maintain momentum, ensure that stated commitments get implemented, and bolster longer-term accountability around women’s economic empowerment and broader gender equality. “Amplifying women’s leadership is an essential part of the economic response to COVID. Leadership opportunities for women can instigate change,” shared Dr Shungu during her session.Â
The forum noted that although women now make up the majority of workers in the health sector, discrimination still exists, and gender equity needs to be achieved. Additionally, infrastructure, social protection, public services, promotion of shared responsibilities, and leadership opportunities are necessary for women’s economic empowerment.
The event followed the second session of the Generation Equality Forum, organised by UN Women in collaboration with France as country host. The Forum process, which ran over the past two years to recognise the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, was designed to catalyse momentum on global gender equality through new and robust commitments from governments, international organisations, the private sector, and civil society.
Watch the discussion HERE.Â
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting childrenâs rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Childrenâs Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescentsâ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trustâs goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a motherâs health and social economic conditions, the early years of a childâs life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.