As the whole international community is gravely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, France, Mexico and UN Women have announced on Friday that the Generation Equality Forum will be postponed to the first semester of 2021. While this calendar change is justified by pressing health and security concerns, it cannot translate into governments withdrawing their commitments on women’s and girls’ rights in the political agendas at national and international level!
The COVID-19 pandemic, as the majority of health and humanitarian crises, highlights and exacerbate structural societal inequalities, among which gender inequalities. In addition to being in the frontline facing the virus, including as health professionals, women and girls are more exposed to domestic and intimate partner violence (IPV), and they see their access to contraception and abortion particularly limited.
The Generation Equality Forum, which should have taken place in May in Mexico and in July in France within the framework of the 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Plan of Action, had as a key objective to tackle key issues related to gender equality and to advance the international agenda on the matter.
The French and Mexican governments must make use of this calendar change to reinforce the participation of feminist movements in all their diversity. This is necessary in the short term to undertake an adapted response to this pandemic, and in the longer term to advance gender equality, set objective of the Generation Equality Forum. France and Mexico must as well build on the mobilisation and ensure ambitious political and financial commitments are taken. Achieving gender equality requires a strong political will and substantial resources.
Signatories:
France
ACT-DTOUR – Action Santé Mondiale – Administration moderne – Alliance Internationale des Femmes/International Alliance of Women – Amis du Fonds Mondial Europe – Amnesty international France – Association d’Aide à l’Education de l’Enfant Handicapé (AAEEH) – Association des Femmes de l’Europe Méridionale (AFEM) – Association Olympe – Biodiversity For Peace – CARE France – Conseil National des Femmes Françaises (CNFF) – Coordination SUD – Du Coté Des Femmes – Equipop – Femmes de demain – Fonds pour les Femmes en Méditerranée /Mediterranean Women’s Fund – Humanity Diaspo – Inclusive Society – Le Planning Familial – Oxfam France – Regards de Femmes – Solthis – WECF France
Mexico
Agrupación de Derechos Humanos Xochitepetl A.C. – Bufete de Estudios Interdisciplinarios A.C. – Cátedra UNESCO de Derechos Humanos, UNAM – Centro de Investigación para la Equidad, Política Pública y Desarrollo, CIPE – Círculo de Estudios de Género, Chihuahua – Comunicación e Información de la Mujer A.C. (CIMAC) – Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca A.C. – Coordinadora Nacional de Mujeres Indígenas CONAMI México – Enlace Continental de Mujeres Indígenas Región México – Equidad de Género, Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia A.C. – Federación Mexicana de Universitarias A.C. – Girls Not Brides LAC – Grupo Asesor de Sociedad Civil para el Foro de Generación Igualdad en México – Musas de Metal Grupo de Mujeres Gay A.C. – Red CEDAW Ciudadana – Red Internacional de periodistas con Visión de Género – Red Nacional de Periodistas – Red Nacional de Promotoras y Asesoras Rurales – The Hunger Project México – GAMAG (Global Alliance on Media and Gender)
Press contacts:
Louis Guinamard – louis.guinamard@equipop.org – 33 (0)6 25 83 95 23
