We are finally meeting again!
About the Commonwealth Women's Forum
Passionate About Women’s Development? Read On the Commonwealth Women's Forum (CWF)
The CWF's mission is to assert massive support and promote top-level policies for gender equality and human rights, provide women with opportunities to interact with Heads of Government; and ensure the Commonwealth's gender equality obligations are a concern for Heads of Government.
Rwanda anticipates up to 500 delegates from varied stakeholder groups. Leaders from all domains, including civil society, youth, activists, academics, influencers, policy experts, philanthropists, the corporate sector, and experts from all industries in the Commonwealth well beyond, will be included.
Programme
Taking charge of Our Future
Kigali – Rwanda 20-21 June 2022 Serena Hotel
Monday
20 June 2022
Tuesday
21 June 2022
9:00 - 10:30
MC Eugene Anangwe
Opening Session
08:45 Arrival of Chief Guests
- Welcome Remarks
Rt. Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Commonwealth Secretary- General -
Drummers and spoken word
Indangamirwa and Angell Mutoni - A Common Future –Opportunities in the Commonwealth
Hon. Emma Theofelus, Deputy Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Namibia - Opening Remarks
Guest of Honour
Official Photograph
Moderator:
Ms Julie Gichuru
10:30 - 11:00
Networking and Refreshment Break
11:00 - 12:30
Women in Leadership: Beyond Numbers
What is meaningful leadership, and what does it look like? In considering this question, pioneers who have advanced gender equality across the Commonwealth are invited to show not only that they have achieved high levels of women’s representation in decision making, but that this increased representation has led to real and lasting change for the betterment of society.
Speakers:
- Ms Cherie Blair CBE, QC, Founder and Chair of Omnia Strategy LLP, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
- Hon. Thembisile Nkandimeng, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, Chairperson, Commonwealth Women in Local Government Network
- Hon. Harriet Baldwin MP, Global Co-Chair of the International Parliamentary Network for Education, United Kingdom
- Dr Margee Ensign, President of the American University of Nigeria
- Hon Shandana Gulzar Khan, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians
Moderator:
Ms Lucy Slack, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum
Venue:
Ballroom (Main) Conference Hall
12:30 - 13:30
Networking Lunch
13:30 - 15:00
Women’s Economic Empowerment: Breaking Barriers
This session considers the challenges affecting women’s economic empowerment, and opportunities for their full and equal participation in economic life. In particular it examines the hurdles women face in trade and entrepreneurship and will devise key entry points that might to clear the way for greater and sustainable economic empowerment.
Speakers:
- Aissa Toure Sarr, Country Manager, Africa Development Bank Group
- Professor Sangeeta Khorana, UK Department of International Trade, UK- India FTA team and Bournemouth University, UK
- Ms Millie Ogden, Chief Executive Officer, 3 Link, Vanuatu and Trade Commissioner of the Republic of Vanuatu to California
- Ms Nadia Binte Amin, Chair, Women’s Entrepreneurship for Development Association (WEND), Bangladesh
Moderator
Arif Zaman, FRSA Executive Director; Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN)
Venue:
Ballroom (Main) Conference Hall
15:00 - 15:30
Networking and Refreshments Break
15:30 - 17:30
Parallel Sessions:
Engaging Men and Boys: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
The session looks at programmes dedicated to engaging men and boys as agents of positive change and examines the critical role data plays in understanding VAWG and its wider impacts. This session will provide a platform to present the Secretariat’s project on the Economic Cost of VAWG (EconVAWG) which utilises a new framework that determines the economic cost of VAWG for various sectors in the economy and the state.
Speakers:
- Opening Intervention - Ms Awah Francisca Mbuli, Founding Director, Survivor’s Network, Cameroon
- HE Toyin Ojora-Saraki, Founder – President, The Wellbeing Foundation Africa
- Hon Marie-Celine Zialor, Minister for Youth, Sports and Family, Seychelles
- Mr Bafana Khumalo, Sonke Gender Justice, South Africa
- Ms Samitha Sugathimala, Regional Coordinator, MenEngage Alliance, South Asia, Sri Lanka
- Dr Gerard Adonis, Facilitator, Economic Costs of Violence Against Women and Girls methodology, Seychelles
Moderator:
Ms Sneh Aurora, Director, London Office, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Canada
Venue:
Auditorium Conference Hall
Intergenerational Celebration
This session will highlight the recognition and celebration of the contributions and diversity of women and girls of all ages, including older women. The session will explore the multiple and intersecting forms of inequalities and discrimination that can be exacerbated in later life and how best to overcome these challenges. Speakers from across the Commonwealth with a background in aged care and civil society organisations will discuss the responsibility for recognising the role that women of all ages can play in community development.
Intergenerational discussion:
- Professor Shirley Randell AO, Ambassador of the National Older Women's Network, Australia
- Ms Pascaline Umulisa, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Rwanda
Speakers:
- Francis Njuakom, Executive Director, CDVTA, Cameroon
- Rianna Patterson, Dominica Dementia Foundation, Dominica
- Sarah Lamba, Save Elders, Tanzania
- Dr Ogugua Osi-Ogbu, Geriatrics Association of Nigeria
Moderator
Samantha Bowen, Director, Acorn Network, Australia
Venue:
Ballroom (Main) Conference Hall
18:00 - 21:00
Celebrate Kigali Gala Dinner
18:00 – 19:00 Arrival of guests and live band performance
19:00 – 19:10 Welcome remarks; Minister of Gender and Family Promotion –Rwanda
19:10 – 19:20 Cultural Performance by Indangamirwa
19:20 – 19:30 Opening remarks: Rt. Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
19:30 – 19:40 Key Note speaker; Dame Jude Kelly Women of the World (WOW)
19:40 – 20:40 Dinner; Music by Symphony Band
20:40 – 21:00 Cultural Performance by Indangamirwa
End
MC:
Makeda Mahadeo
Venue:
Serena Big Tent
09.00am - 11am
Gender and Climate Change: Interactions and Opportunities for Progress
This session will be a platform to highlight the role and contribution of women in ensuring successful climate change resilience. It is necessary to include and promote women as vital changemakers and ensure their seat at the policy and decision-making table. With several Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other vulnerable territories, including cities, home to large informal communities, in the Commonwealth already feeling the harsh effects of climate change and other disaster risks, all sectors of society must be united in protecting the diverse communities of the Commonwealth family.
Speakers:
- Hon Regina Esparon MNA, Chair of the Women’s Parliamentary caucus in the Seychelles National Assembly
- Dr Carla Barnett, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
- Maliha Khan, CEO Women Deliver
- Ms Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Mr Unnikrishnan Nair, Head of Climate Change at The Commonwealth Secretariat
Moderator:
Dr Laine Munir, African Leadership University
Venue:
Ballroom (Main) Conference Hall
11am - 11:30
Networking and Refreshments Break
11:30 - 13:30
Parallel Sessions:
Addressing the barriers to gender equality and Women Empowerment: Accountability for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
This session examines the progress that Commonwealth member countries have made in establishing domestic accountability mechanisms pertaining to gender equality and women empowerment. It will consider how governments have participated in existing international accountability mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review, highlight innovative Commonwealth best practice in promoting government accountability including with respect to the need to address gender-disaggregated data gaps, and providing concrete recommendations for the development of accountability mechanisms for gender equality.
Speakers:
- Ms Cherie Blair CBE, QC, Founder and Chair of Omnia Strategy LLP, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
- Professor Margaret Kobia, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Public Service, Gender, Senior Citizen’s Affairs and Special Programmes, Kenya
- Stephen Twigg, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
- Hon Mariyam Muna, President, Human Rights Commission, Maldives
- Steve Letsike, Chair of the Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN)
Moderator
Dr Shavana Haythornthwaite, Commonwealth Secretariat
Venue:
Auditorium Conference Hall
Human Capital Development: Building Girls Leaders of Tomorrow
By exploring the global challenge brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, this session will highlight how digital technologies continue to impact human capital development. Speakers from diverse sectors will discuss the positive and negative lessons learnt across the Commonwealth from the impact of COVID-19 on the ability of women to work, progress in their careers, access education, coping mechanisms and address the skills necessary for women to be well positioned in an increasingly digital economy.
Speakers:
- Hon Dr Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Former President, Mauritius
- Dr Tsitsi Masiyiwa, Founder & Co-Chair, Higherlife Foundation
- Ms Bernadette Lewis, Secretary-General, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
- Ms Goretti Kyomuhendo, Civil Society Advisory Governor, Commonwealth Foundation; Director of the African Writers Trust
- Dr Diane Karusisi, CEO Bank of Kigali
Moderator:
Professor Asha Kanwar, CEO & President, Commonwealth of Learning
Venue:
Ballroom (Main) Conference Hall
13:30 - 14:30
Networking Lunch
14:30 - 16:00
Parallel Sessions:
Peace in the Commonwealth: women’s engagement in peace and security This session will be a platform to explore the question of what can be done to enable more meaningful women’s participation in peace and security and how the aspirations of UNSCR 1325 can be more fully realised across the Commonwealth and the world, with an emphasis on transformative conditions that can enable women’s meaningful participation. With speakers drawn from the sectors of peace mediation, military and security institutions and peace programming [and business], this session will examine women’s engagement in peace and security and provide a forum to explore what practical measures can be taken to enable greater and more meaningful participation of women in peace and security.
Speakers:
- Hon Uza. Mariya Didi, Minister of Defence, Republic of the Maldives
- Ms Elizabeth Solomon, Women Mediators Across the Commonwealth Ms Celia Davies, Director of Ethics, Moonshot
- Christine Odera, Global Coordinator, Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network
Moderator:
Mark Albon, Head of Countering Violent Extremism, Commonwealth Secretariat
Venue:
Auditorium Conference Hall
Conquering Cervical Cancer in the Commonwealth: Realities, Challenges and Opportunities
Speakers from both medical and civil society backgrounds will discuss the importance of prioritising cervical cancer elimination and the challenges the Commonwealth faces with cervical cancer. The Commonwealth accounts for approximately 40% of global cervical cancer incidence and 43% of cervical cancer mortality. The outcome of this discussion will form part of important pre-CHOGM policy recommendations and will build up on the Heads of Government commitments in addressing the rising burden of non- communicable disease (NCD).
Speakers:
- Dr Princess Nothemba Simelela, Assistant Director-General, Strategic Programmatic Priorities, World Health Organisation (Keynote Address)
- Professor Senait Fisseha, Director of Global Programs at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and Chief Advisor to the Director-General of the World Health Organisation
- Professor Marion Saville AM, Executive Director, Executive Director at the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer, member of the Task Force
- Ms Summer Ng, Cervical Cancer Survivor, Youth Representative
Moderator:
- Dr Miriam Mutebi, Chair, Commonwealth Taskforce on Cervical Cancer Elimination, Breast Surgical Oncologist, Assistant Professor, Aga Khan University Hospital, Kenya
- Brief remarks from Prof Ruth Kattumuri, Senior Director EYSD, Commonwealth Secretariat
Venue:
Ballroom (Main) Conference Hall
16:00 - 16:30
Networking and Refreshments Break
16:30 – 17:00
Outcomes of the Commonwealth Women’s Forum
Dr Arjoon Suddhoo, Deputy Secretary General, Commonwealth Secretariat
17:00
Closing remarks
Hon. Minister Jeannette Bayisenge