The Generation Equality Forum is a civil society-led, multi-stakeholder gathering taking place within the context of the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, with two major meetings to be held in Mexico, 7-8 May 2020 and Paris, 7-10 July 2020. The Forum is convened by UN Women, and co-chaired by France and Mexico, and is in partnership with Global Civil Society.
UPDATE 3 April 2020 * “Announcement Generation Equality Forum Postponed. As the situation surrounding COVID-19 evolves, the number of people around the world affected by this disease continues to increase. This global public health crisis has direct implications for the Generation Equality Forum and for gender equality and women’s human rights. We recognize that women are playing a disproportionate role in responding to this disease—as caregivers, frontline healthcare workers, community leaders and mobilisers, often at great risk to their health. We stand in solidarity with them. In light of this crisis, the Generation Equality Forum will be postponed until the first half of 2021. The new dates will be announced in the coming months. In the months leading to the Generation Equality Forum, a series of virtual engagements will be organized in collaboration with partners to foster continued momentum, participation and commitment of all stakeholders. We are convinced, especially now, that the objectives of the Forum remain stronger than ever. We express our continued collective commitment to bringing the world together, mobilizing all actors – especially young people – to chart an agenda of transformative action to achieve gender equality and to strengthen feminist and young people’s solidarity, movements, and leadership.“
Twenty-five years following the historic Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Forum will take stock of progress and charting an agenda of concrete action to realise gender equality before 2030. A ground-breaking, multigenerational campaign, “Generation Equality: Realizing women’s rights for an equal future” the Forum will stand as a ‘global public conversation’ and be informed by recent and future Beijing+25 multi-stakeholder regional meetings and consultations taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Geneva, Switzerland, Bangkok, Thailand, Amman, Jordan and Santiago, Chile.
The two major meetings in Mexico and Paris will see the launch of six thematic action coalitions, and celebrate the power of women’s rights activism, feminist solidarity, and youth leadership to achieve transformative change, the Action Coalitions, supported with financing and partnerships, will create ‘blueprints, with goals, budgets, expected results, and accountability, with the aim of accelerating progress to advance gender equality, and be led by a group of partners, including Member States, women’s movements and civil society organizations, and the private sector, together with UN agencies, other international organizations, and youth leaders.
The two major meetings will feature ‘real-time’ interactive satellite sessions, based on the concept of reaching out and being inclusive and accessible to as many participants as possible. Bringing together stakeholders – civil society, governments, business, cities, parliaments, trade unions, media and more, focusing on intergenerational and multi-stakeholder partnerships. Building support for the Feminist and Women’s Movement Action Plan and demands will be of priority, with the aim of ensuring governments make commitments to financing and implementing the Feminist and Women’s Movement Action Plan at the General Assembly, September 2020.
Click HERE to read more about the Gender Equality Forum Information Pack
Useful Information
View and download the Soroptimist International Advocacy Pack HERE
The Soroptimist International CSW64 Written Statement HERE
Find out more about the civil society-led Gender Equality Forum HERE
Read a wonderful story from Soroptimist International Director Dawn Marie Lemonds HERE
Download CSW64 Postcard Front HERE
Download CSW64 Postcard Back HERE
Download CSW64 Soroptimist International Event List HERE