SEVENTH MEETING OF WOMEN SPEAKERS OF PARLIAMENT: Gender-Sensitive Parliaments
How to Effect Change for Women in Parliament – Women Speakers Meet in Delhi –Women speakers of parliament from around the world will gather in the Indian capital, Delhi to focus on strategies to make parliaments more gender sensitive. The IPU organized meeting on 3-4 October will tackle issues such as how to achieve gender parity in parliaments by transforming the way parliaments and political parties work. Hosted by the Indian parliament and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar, the meeting of women speakers will also examine the findings of IPU’s latest global survey on Gender Sensitive Parliaments. In addition to clearly defining the meaning of a gender sensitive parliament, the survey outlines key actions in several areas including legislation that supports gender equality and fostering a parliamentary culture that respects women’s rights and promotes equality.
The high-level parliamentary meeting will be officially opened by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Speaker Kumar and IPU President Abdelwahad Radi with keynote addresses given by UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet and IPU Secretary General Anders Johnsson. This, the 7th time IPU has organized a meeting bringing together women speakers of parliament, will conclude with an outcome document.
The Meeting will focus on strategies to make parliaments more gender-sensitive. It will include discussions on matters related to promoting equality and women's role and place within parliament, and parliament’s capacity to champion gender equality issues. The findings of the IPU’s latest "Global survey on gender-sensitive parliaments: A Global Review of Good Practice", will also be deliberated upon. Besides, the Meeting will highlight the role of Women Speakers in mentoring young women politicians.
The annual meetings of women Speakers of Parliament organized by the IPU aim at providing to women in the highest decision making positions of parliament a regular forum and opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences on gender issues which are of interest to their national and international agendas.