Question Period Note: Canada’s Role in the Generation Equality Forum

Update on Canada’s Role in the Generation Equality Forum

• Advancing gender equality both in Canada and around the world is a key Government of Canada priority, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Canada fully supports UN Women, France, and Mexico’s launch of the Generation Equality Forum to maintain the momentum following the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing+25) in 2020.
• The Forum seeks to accelerate progress to advance gender equality over the next five years through transformative actions in six key areas:
1. Gender-Based Violence;
2. Economic Justice and Rights;
3. Bodily Autonomy and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights;
4. Feminist Action for Climate Justice;
5. Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality; and
6. Feminist Movements and Leadership.
• As a leader of the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership, Canada has been working with partners, including other countries, civil society, and the private sector, to develop tangible actions and commitments to make real progress in this area.
• Canada along with other Action Coalition leaders and commitment makers will be announcing commitments at the Generation Equality Forum in Paris to be held from June 30 to July 2, 2021.

To keep the momentum on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 25 years following its adoption (Beijing +25), UN Women, France and Mexico (also known as the “Core Group”), convened the Generation Equality Forum (GEF) to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism in uncertain times for women’s rights, strengthen the women’s movement, and support youth and multi-stakeholder engagement for gender equality.

Launched at the Mexico Forum held virtually in March 2021, the GEF agenda focuses on action and accountability in six (6) areas to address key challenges and emerging issues for gender equality including: feminist movements and leadership; gender-based violence; economic justice and rights; feminist model of climate justice; bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights; and technology and innovation.

Six Action Coalitions reflecting these key areas are intended to be innovative partnerships among civil society, Member States, international organizations and the private sector. Each Action Coalition is expected to develop and implement a set of transformative and measurable actions over a five (5) year period.

In 2020, Canada became a leader of the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership along with the Netherlands and a number of non-government partners, including a youth organization. In February 2021, Malawi and Gucci also joined the Action Coalition as leaders.

As an Action Coalition leader, Canada is expected to make concrete commitments to advance priority areas identified by the Action Coalition. Canada is represented on this Action Coalition by the Minister for Women and Gender Equality on domestic commitments and the Minister for International Development on international commitments.

At the Mexico Forum, a blueprint for each Action Coalition was made public. These six blueprints are the result of international public consultations led by UN Women and the work of all Action Coalition leads to develop these actions and identify potential commitments. They form the basis for the GEF’s 2026 vision and action plan. At the Mexico Forum, Canada announced the launch of the Global Alliance for Sustainable Feminist Movements, which the Ford Foundation is supporting by investing $15 million in the Equality Fund. Canada also announced a $10 million investment in the UN Women Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women.

Domestically, consultations were held in spring 2021 with provinces and territories, national Indigenous leaders and representatives, as well as civil society on Canada’s overall approach in the GEF, including in its role an Action Coalition leader. In particular, Canadian youth were consulted via Plan International Canada’s annual Youth Summit (May 15-16, 2021) and a broad range of stakeholders were consulted during a Joint Ministerial Dialogue co-hosted by Ministers Monsef and Gould (May 18, 2021). Additionally, WAGE has funded five CSO-led initiatives: two multi-year projects as part of the department’s Beijing +25 engagement strategy (Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health and Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women) as well as three Town Halls on Beijing +25 priorities held in early 2021 by Dr. Betsy McGregor and the DisAbled Women’s Network Canada.

None