The G7 development and education ministers are meeting on July 4 and 5 in Paris, with the G5 Sahel countries in attendance. Several key issues are at the heart of these ministerial meetings: the Sahel, development financing, access to decent employment, and girls' education. Women's and girls' rights must be fully integrated into the agenda, and Women 7 calls on all G7 countries to show ambition in this area.
Find the W7's detailed recommendations for the joint Development and Education Ministerial (July 5) in French and English.
This week's ministerial meetings on development and education issues are key opportunities for France and the G7 countries to implement feminist diplomacy, particularly in the Sahel.
This feminist approach must be applied at two levels.
- Firstly, in governance: women and feminist organizations must participate in the governance systems of the G7 and G5 Sahel, including in the context of conflict prevention and resolution.
- Next, in operational responses: women's and girls' rights must be integrated into all initiatives undertaken by the G5 Sahel and G7 countries. The Sahel Alliance in particular, promoted by France within the framework of the G7, cannot ignore half of the Sahel's population and must systematically integrate women's and girls' rights into all its actions.
Education issues will also be at the heart of these ministerial meetings and must be central to the development policies of G7 countries. Inclusive education that transforms gender relations is essential to the realization of other rights and the sustainable development of societies.
Comprehensive sexuality education, the missing link
Sexual and reproductive rights and health, and more specifically comprehensive sexuality education, are at the intersection of education, development, and health issues. As a powerful tool for empowerment, emancipation, and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, comprehensive sexuality education should call for a strong commitment from States to its teaching in education systems, at both the national and international levels. This is the missing link in these two ministerial meetings.
Today, the Sahel region is too often examined from a demographic perspective, with pressure placed on women who are solely responsible for the high fertility rates in certain countries. Discussing these issues from this perspective alone, without involving women and feminist organizations, would not be consistent with the feminist diplomacy advocated by France and would lead to ineffective public policies. Only a comprehensive approach, based on sexual and reproductive rights and health, will provide effective and fair solutions.
85% of all ODA from G7 countries must incorporate gender considerations
Finally, to implement these feminist policies, Women 7 calls on all G7 countries to significantly increase their gender-responsive official development assistance (ODA): 85% of all ODA from G7 countries must integrate gender as a significant or primary objective by 2025, with at least 20% dedicated to projects with gender equality as their primary objective. These ministerial meetings are a key opportunity for G7 countries to collectively commit to meeting this goal and prioritizing gender-responsive official development assistance.
The G7 Finance Ministers' Meeting will be a crucial final step before the leaders' summit in Biarritz at the end of August. With 50 days to go before the summit, now more than ever is the time to make further progress on women's and girls' rights.
The Women 7 Movement
W7 (Women 7) brings together feminist organizations from G7 countries and around the world. Its main mission is to ensure that G7 countries make financial and political commitments in 2019 and beyond that will have a concrete and lasting impact on the lives of women and girls around the world.
For more information, visit the W7 website: feministscount.org
Press contacts:
Equipop: Lucie Daniel, Advocacy Expert, lucie.daniel@equipop.org, +33 (0)1 85 08 05 20
PLAN International France: Michelle Perrot, Director of Advocacy and Youth Engagement, michelle.perrot@plan-international.org, +33 (0)1 44 89 91 75
CARE France: Laury-Anne Bellessa, Communications Manager, bellessa@carefrance.org
