The Annual Consultation of Commonwealth National Women’s Machineries that was held yesterday welcomed and praised Malta’s leadership for including the first ever Commonwealth Women’s Forum in the programme of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015.

During the event Phyllis Muscat, Head of CHOGM Malta 2015 Taskforce and Claire Cassar, Chair of the inaugural Commonwealth Women’s Forum, provided an overview of the preparations towards the CHOGM currently underway, and specific information about the orientation of the Women’s Forum. A video presentation about the preparations, as well as the launch event held in Malta on 6 March, were also shown.
Helena Dalli, Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, commended the CHOGM taskforce for its work, and spoke of the importance of the forum so that the plight of the 1.1 billion women in the Commonwealth is adequately represented in the outcomes of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Minister Dalli also indicated her intent of having the Forum serve as a platform for the follow-up agenda of the Commonwealth's Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005-2015, which document was adopted in Malta during CHOGM 2005.

The participants of the Commonwealth high level event congratulated Malta for its leadership, and the CHOGM Taskforce for the work done so far. The participants were also encouraged by Minister Dalli’s determination to ensure that the Forum sees that women’s issues are highlighted throughout the CHOGM series of fora and events.

 

The unanimous response and reception from those present at the event was very encouraging and the delegates expressed their interest in that this Women’s Forum becomes a permanent fixture in the margins of CHOGM.