[Brussels, 6 June 2014] Yesterday, the G7 – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission – met in Brussels to discuss global issues, and delivered a declaration in which they state their positions on several international issues. The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) is pleased to see the commitment of the G7 to human rights, and in particular to gender equality:
“We recognise the need to show unprecedented resolve to promote gender equality, to end all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, to end child, early and forced marriage and to promote full participation and empowerment of all women and girls. We look forward to the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict taking place in London later this month.”
The G7 also commits “to ensuring sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, and ending child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation and other harmful practices.”
The EWL hopes that this political declaration will set the ground for real commitment to achieve gender equality, and to include gender equality and women’s rights as a stand alone goal in the post-2015 development agenda. We also hope that it will constitute guidelines for the work of the new European Commission and Parliament.
