Source: AllAfrica
The annual meetings of Commonwealth women's ministers and officials began on Saturday 19 February in New York, with an assessment of the progress and challenges in implementing the Commonwealth's 10 year Plan of Action for Gender Equality.

The 24-member Monitoring Group is currently chaired by Hon Dr Shirin S Chaudhury, Minister of Women and Children's Affairs, Bangladesh. Members discussed the prioritisation of work areas over the remaining five years of the plan - and how best to collaborate and assess the needs of women across the five regions of the Commonwealth.

At the meeting, it was decided that regional groupings would play a bigger role in monitoring the Plan of Action. Dr Sylvia Anie, Director responsible for Gender at the Secretariat said: "The formation of regional groups is an important development. Their observations will feed into the general monitoring of the Plan and the groups will hold their first meeting before June."

The Plan of Action promotes women's advancement and gender equity in the Commonwealth - and focuses on four areas: Democracy, Peace and Conflict; Human Rights and Law; Poverty Eradication and Economic Empowerment; and HIV and AIDS.

Prof Barbara Bailey, who led the 'mid-term' review of the plan for the Secretariat, presented her findings. She outlined recommendations made by member governments to prioritise work in response to identified gaps, focusing on areas of: women in governance and decision making; women and girls in armed conflict; gender based violence; culture and persistent discriminatory stereotypes; budgets that account for the needs of both women and men; social protection for vulnerable women; women in unpaid work and micro-enterprise; and access to credit and markets.

Professor Bailey reported that the Review had also identified new areas of concern, including that of climate change and the impact of the global financial crisis on women, which she said had emerged as the most critical new issue.

She called for the need to focus on specific areas within the priority concerns, and added: "A strategy with key milestones and indicators is required."

The meeting identified the need for better communications between members of the Monitoring Group with a call for a dedicated website to help facilitate this. It was also decided that members meet twice a year in the run up to 2015.
Relevant Links

Dr Elizabeth Marsh, Senior Programme Manager representing civil society reported that the Commonwealth Foundation's 'mid-term' review had stressed the need for greater harmonisation and improved partnerships between civil society and government as key areas of concern. Capacity issues among the many grassroots organisations being funded by the Foundation was also highlighted as a consideration in terms of implementation.

The Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality builds on the Commonwealth's commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Beijing Platform for Action.

It was agreed at yesterday's meeting that the tenure of the chair of the Monitoring Group be extended to two years. The incoming chair will represent the Pacific region.

The weekend meetings in New York are taking place ahead of the 55th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women..