The list of threats and challenges to women’s rights globally is long, a reality former Prime Mininster Julia Gillard confronted this week while naming the global issues at play during a media briefing to launch Women Deliver/
But one particular concern stood out among all others, primarily because it threatens what’s already been achieved.
According to Gillard, this threat revolves around a “particular brand of politics that is anti-human rights and anti gender equality, and is using that to try and seek popular appeal” that is emerging in many parts of the world.
This brand of politics is striking a chord across electorates that are, understandably, anxious about the changes affecting their world, growing inequality and what the future will look like for their children and communities.
The political movements seeking popular appeal are spreading rapidly. And we know that Australia is far from immune.
“In today’s hyper-connected world, political trends that start in one country don’t stay there, and so the challenges to women’s rights are being fought in many ways in many countries around the world,” Gillard said.
“And we, against that backdrop, I think, have to come together and reflect about where we are in the world, about how we need to campaign a fresh and new way to mobilise community support for gender equality.
Gillard also cited polling, including from the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, which she chairs, to highlight that attitudes to gender equality are going backwards in many countries, particularly among young men.
“So we need to find new ways of making an impact, new ways of campaigning, a new narrative that enables us to unlock globally and locally waves of public support for the project of gender equality, which, of course, will build a better world for everyone.”
Women Deliver will see thousands of gender equality advocates from across the world descend on Melbourne at the end of April to work through these challenges, discuss the new narratives needed, and develop new opportunities to drive gender equality.
Women Deliver CEO Maliha Khan confirmed this week that they have received registrations from 185 countries, highlighting the global appeal of the event and of gender equality advocates seeking to come together to determine and implement solutions.
A key goal of the event, she said, will be accountability.
“We want to have a better-resourced and more locally driven, nationally centred movement and ecosystem that really thinks about and centres those who are most affected, those who are the most marginalised, and those who can actually bring about the change within the system.
She added that the essence of the event is about “human congregation”.
“Even in this digital age, we are programmed to want to meet other human beings, to connect with them, to share our common humanity.”
“Sometimes we cannot move forward until we address our disagreements and our issues going forward that we will be centering and creating the space for in Melbourne.”
Gillard noted during the launch on Wednesday that she has seen the shift in Women Deliver and how it’s scaled to become “a global convening regarding how we realise for every woman and every girl to control their bodies and be the architect of their own lives”.
“If we are to realise that vision. We do need to come together to get on mass, think through the strategies, form new partnerships, and disperse into the world to create new impact.”
Can we turn this moment of crisis into the greatest opportunity in recent history to move gender equality forward? Thousands of passionate advocates will be doing everything they can to help.
Women’s Agenda is a partner of Women Deliver, running 27 to 30 April. You can learn more about the event here.