Participation of the PABSEC International Secretariat to the IPU virtual event “Parliaments Act for Equal”, 2 July 2021
As a co-leader of the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership, the IPU, in collaboration with the French National Assembly and Senate, organized on 2 July 2021 a side event, during the Generation Equality Forum Paris 2021, on the theme Parliaments Act for Equal.
Mr. Miltiadis Makrygiannis, PABSEC Deputy Secretary General participated in this event, representing the PABSEC International Secretariat.
The Forum brought together heads of states and governments, representatives of international organizations, civil society, youth, and the private sector to make concrete transformative commitments and advance gender equality around the world. In particular, the side event organized by the Interparliamentary Union (IPU) used as a platform to support dialogue between parliamentarians and civil society actors, including those representing movements led by youth and girls, and to showcase good practices on how parliaments can amplify the voices and leadership of women and build partnerships to promote gender equality. Cooperation between women's parliamentary caucuses and civil society organizations and movements, and coalition-building with feminist and women's groups, as well as public outreach, were some of the examples that were shared.
As the panelists pointed, women in all their diversity and across all sectors, especially young women, should be empowered and have their voices heard in all decision-making processes. Across the world, women and girls come together to advocate for and drive change, yet they are limited by shrinking democratic spaces, overt sexism, and a lack of resources and opportunities for mobilizing. Building back more gender-responsive and greener is a key area of a feminist agenda in parliament that requires women’s leadership and synergies with feminist and women-led movements.
To achieve gender parity and diversity in representation, parliaments must build on the work of feminist groups, women and girls’ movements. These groups must have a say in the work of parliament and their work must be promoted. In particular, strong women’s and feminist movements must be consulted and fully engaged in the law-making and oversight work of parliaments so as to ensure genuinely feminist policies are adopted and implemented.