As the international community is hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, France, Mexico, and UN Women announced on Friday the postponement of the Generation Equality Forum to the first half of next year. While this postponement is justified by compelling health and safety reasons, it must not lead to a disengagement of States from women's and girls' rights in international and national political agendas!
The COVID-19 pandemic, like most health and humanitarian crises, has highlighted and exacerbated structural inequalities in our societies, foremost among which are gender inequalities. In addition to being on the front line in the fight against the virus, particularly as healthcare professionals, women and girls are more exposed to the risks of domestic and intimate partner violence, and their access to contraception and abortion is particularly limited.
The Generation Equality Forum, which was scheduled to take place in May in Mexico and in July in France as part of the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, aimed to tackle the major challenges related to gender equality and advance the international agenda.
The French and Mexican governments must seize this new opportunity to strengthen the participation of feminist movements in all their diversity. This is necessary in the short term to provide an appropriate response to the pandemic, and in the longer term to advance towards gender equality, the goal set for the Generation Equality Forum. France and Mexico must also continue to mobilize and ensure that states make ambitious political and financial commitments. Achieving gender equality requires both strong political will and substantial resources.
Signatory associations:
France
ACT-DTOUR – Global Health Action – Modern Administration – International Alliance of Women – Friends of the Global Fund Europe – Amnesty International France – Association for the Education of Disabled Children (AAEEH) – Association of Women of Southern Europe (AFEM) – Association Olympe – Biodiversity For Peace – CARE France – Conseil National des Femmes Françaises (CNFF) – Coordination SUD – Du Coté Des Femmes – Equipop – Femmes de demain – Mediterranean Women’s Fund – Humanity Diaspo – Inclusive Society – Le Planning Familial – Oxfam France – Regards de Femmes – Solthis – WECF France
Mexico
Xochitepetl Human Rights Association – Interdisciplinary Studies Law Firm – UNESCO Chair in Human Rights, UNAM – Center for Research on Equity, Public Policy, and Development, CIPE – Gender Studies Circle, Chihuahua – Women's Communication and Information Association (CIMAC) – Consortium for Parliamentary Dialogue and Equity Oaxaca A.C. – National Coordinator of Indigenous Women CONAMI Mexico – 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 Gay Women's Group A.C. – CEDAW Citizen Network – International Network of Journalists with a Gender Perspective – National Network of Journalists – National Network of Rural Promoters and Advisors – The Hunger Project Mexico – GAMAG (Global Alliance on Media and Gender)
Press contact:
Louis Guinamard – louis.guinamard@equipop.org – 33 (0)6 25 83 95 23
