Partner's Forum 2007
Coordinated by the Commonwealth Foundation and the Commonwealth Women's Network Secretariat in Uganda, the Partners' Forum took place immediately prior tothe Eigth Women's Affairs Mnisiters Meeting (WAMM).
The Forum involved the general community through its Civil Society Organisation (CSO) representatives, who shared experiences on critical challenges, discussed emerging issues, and brought these to the attention of Ministers' Meeting through a communiqué on the progress on implementation of the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005 - 2015.
To read the final communiqué from the Partner's Forum, please click on the link at the bottom of the page.
The objectives of the Partner's Forum were to:
- Provide an opportunity for civil society organisations (CSOs) across the Commonwealth to share experiences and learning on the theme for 8WAMM: Financing Gender Equality for Development and Democracy;
- Report on progress with the implementation of the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality and develop key messages for Ministers;
- Build capacity of public sector and civil society organisations to impact on the policy space related to gender issues;
The following workshops took place during the 2007 Partner's Forum:
Title: Parliamentarians Forum on Women and Leadership in a Democracy
Organiser: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
Date: 8-9 June 2007
Venue: Royal Room (8 and 9 June), Speke Resort and Conference Centre Munyunyo
Summary:
The Parliamentarians Forum on Women and Leadership in a Democracy was hosted by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Social Transformation Programmes Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Parliament of Uganda and the Uganda Women's Parliamentary Association. The two-day activity was designed to bring together key women parliamentary and political leaders to address a number of crucial issues concerning participation in processes of democratic decision-making within Commonwealth countries.
Participants considered international frameworks and commitments, assessed progress made and identified the gaps and challenges remaining. There was also a focus on parliamentary initiatives and strategies undertaken not only to increase the number of women in legislatures but to go beyond numbers and identify ways in which women can make a greater impact once they enter Parliament. The Forum provided for a greater understanding of gender, leadership and democracy within the Commonwealth framework. The Forum participants also proposed concrete recommendations for action to Ministers attending the 8th WAMM.
*****
Title: Maternal death audits-costs and benefits
Organiser: Health Section, Social Transformation Programmes Division, Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboaration with East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community
The World Health Organisation
Date: 8 - 9 June
Venue: Marquee, Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyonyo
Summary:
The objective of this workshop was to bring together countries and civil society organisations in the East, Central and Southern Africa region, and other countries with high maternal mortality rates, to share experiences and methodologies of maternal death audits, with a view to developing effective interventions in maternal health, including increased resource allocation. The outcomes of the workshop include the development of a statement that was fed into 8WAMM and the Finance Ministers Meeting (September, 2007), which will in turn feed into the bi-annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Uganda in November 2007. The meeting aimed to provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of the need for reliable data on maternal deaths, and strengthen partnerships with other organisations in advocating for adequate resources for maternal health. Participants included 20 policy-makers, technocrats, other maternal health specialists and civil society representatives from Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia; officials from the Ugandan Ministry of Health including reproductive/maternal health specialists, and maternal death audits specialists from East and Southern Africa.
*****
Title: Financing Gender Equality for Development and Democracy
Organiser: Commonwealth Foundation
Date: 8 - 10 June
Venue: Meera Room, Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyunyo
Summary:
This forum provided an opportunity for Commonwealth CSOs to share experiences and learning on the theme financing gender equality for development and democracy and develop key messages for Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers. The outcomes from the meeting include a position paper on 8WAMM thematic issues, a report focusing on regional civil society perspectives of the 8WAMM theme, identification of challenges in implementing the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality and identification of CSO strategies for collaborating with government to implement the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality.
*****
Title: Gender in Social Transformation: Democracy, Peace and Conflict in the Commonwealth
Organisers: Isis-WICCE in partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation and UNIFEM-Uganda
Date: 8 - 10 June
Venue: Regal Room, Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyunyo, Uganda
Summary:
The objectives of the 2-day workshop were to provide an overview of the current realities of women in armed conflict situations in Commonwealth countries; to demonstrate the impact women have made in peace building and democratic change, to engage women leaders to influence change and political agendas, and to urge Commonwealth governments to prioritise gender mainstreaming and its financing in peace building and development work, and to be at the forefront of all policy and programme initiatives. The workshop concluded with a position paper that challenges Commonwealth governments to provide adequate resources for women's participation in conflict resolution and peace building. The outcomes of the workshop include: providing a better understanding of gender transformation in relation to democracy, peace and security within the current realities of the Commonwealth countries, demonstrating the crucial need to prioritise and allocate resources towards gender responsive programmes during and after armed conflict, and providing a consensus on the thematic issues that informed the Communiqué that was disseminated to the WAMM. Participants to the workshop included women activists' groups, and individuals from the academia, development and grant making bodies working in the thematic area.
*****
Title: Access to Finance for Women Entrepreneurs
Organiser: Commonwealth Business Women's Network
Date: 9 - 10June 2007
Venue: Sheena Room (9 June), Victoria Ball Room (10 June), Speke Resort and Conference Centre Munyunyo
Summary:
The Workshop and Conference on Access to Finance was hosted by the Commonwealth Business Women's Network together with the Uganda Investment Authority. The two-day event was designed to create a platform to discuss issues within the Commonwealth. Poor business plans, lack of credit history and collateral affect the chances of women trying to access finance. The banks on their part fail to take account of the explicit needs of women entrepreneurs and are not sensitive to the need for innovative financing and targeted products for businesswomen, while governments are taking too long to develop and implement policies in favour of women in business. A paper was written in advance and presented at the workshop to stimulate discussion. Women entrepreneurs, women's organisations, policy makers and financial institutions were invited to both events. Following discussions within the workshop and the conference, recommendations, some of which are already included in the Access to Finance Paper, resulting from discussions were noted and recommended to Women's Affairs Ministers. Two sets of recommendations were made - one set for governments and one for financial institutions.
*****
Title: Developing a Community of Practice on Gender and HIV/AIDS:
The Caribbean Experience
Organisers: UNIFEM Caribbean Office in partnership with the Gender Programme of the Commonwealth Secretariat
Date: 10 June
Venue: Marquee, Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Muyonyo
Summary:
The workshop highlighted approaches and shared best practices in gender mainstreaming and HIV/AIDS. The aim was to develop a database and increase understanding of approaches to strengthen technical competence and the political will to address the gendered causes and consequences of HIV/AIDS. The three key issues discussed were the strengthening of political commitment to gender mainstreaming within HIV/AIDS programmes, mapping good practices in gender mainstreaming and identifying advocacy strategies. The workshop produced a statement, which was fed into the official proceedings of the WAMM. The participants included women's organisations, national women's machineries, representatives of national HIV/AIDS Commissions and advocates of women living with HIV/AIDS from within the Caribbean.
*****
Title: InterAction Leadership Programme
Organisers: The British Council
Date: 10 June
Venue: Sheena Room, Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyunyo
Summary:
The one-day programme aimed to explore assumptions about leadership and to develop in participants a greater curiosity about themselves and the world around them, in addition to encouraging them to actively work to make a positive difference. The outcomes of the programme were that participants learnt to communicate more effectively with the aid of new communication tools and understand how simple actions within an organisation can bring about change. Participants also learnt about 'appreciative Inquiry' and how it can make a difference in their lives. They also discovered how the questions they ask can impact negatively or positively on others. The programme was open to all those attending the Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting.
*****
Title: Money Matters: Challenges of financing gender equality in education
Organiser: Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with United Nations Girls Education Initiative (UNGEI) and School Fee Abolition Initiative (SFAI)
Date: 10 June, 2007
Venue: Majestic Room, Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyunyo
Summary:
The overall objective was to analyse experiences in financing gender equality in education, and inform ministers about the kinds of policies and practices that would help bring adequate and appropriate financing for promoting gender equality in education. The specific objectives of the workshop were: to discuss the issue of financing education, especially in the context of girls and the constraints faced, from both micro and macro perspectives; to discuss the relevance of abolishing school fees (in its broad sense taking all financial constraints to education into account) and associated challenges, to discuss the concept and relevance of gender responsive budgeting in education and, to identify the issues that need policy advocacy in the above context and communicate those to the ministers and senior officials. Participants to the workshop consisted of senior officials from the country delegations, academia and CSOs present for participation in the parallel forum, donor agencies and development partners.
| Related Documents | |
 | |
 | Final communiqué 74 KB) |
| |
