Germany joins world-wide alliance for women’s rights

Germany’s Federal Ministry for International Cooperation and Development (BMZ) seeks to step up its campaign for local women’s and human rights organisations world-wide and is joining the global alliance for women’s rights.  “Throughout the world, no country has so far achieved true gender equality. And yet all people would benefit from it – not only the women,” said Federal Development Minister in a video message to the Global Citizen Festival in New York on the 28^th September. She noted that with Germany’s joining the Alliance, Germany was seeking to enable women’s rights organisations in the partner countries to campaign for a true gender equality policy.

Attended by around 60,000 participants, the Festival takes place each year on the occasion of the UN General Assembly. It is above all aimed at mobilising young people for the fight against poverty and for the Agenda 2030 goals.

The Alliance was founded at the 2022 UN General Assembly. It comprises philanthropic organisations, national governments – Canada, France, Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Malawi – as well as international members such as the Organisation of International Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union Commission. Its aim is to support women’s rights organisations world-wide, both financially and politically.

Providing greater support for women’s rights in the Global South

Above all in the Global South, women’s rights organisations play an indispensable role in combating discrimination, violence and social injustice. They are active fighting gender-specific violence and improving access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities for women and girls.

Many women’s rights involved in this face an enormous strain and difficult conditions. One of the Alliance’s actions is to provide an online platform to enable women to improve their networking with one another and with international donors, and to discuss focal topics, financing models and legal issues.

The BMZ already presented its strategy for feminist development cooperation before 2023. With this strategy, the Ministry seeks to strengthen rights, resources and representation, the so-called 3R, for women and marginalised groups. Women are to have the same rights as men, for example regarding inheritance and land ownership. They are to have equal access to resources, for instance in the education system. And they are to enjoy equal representation in offices and committees. Joining the Alliance for Feminist Movements is a further step towards implementing a feminist development policy.

In addition, the Development Minister is supporting the international WeTheWomen campaign. Under the hashtag WeTheWomen, girls and women share their experiences and ideas world-wide concerning what has to change.

(BMZ/wi)

More information:

#WeTheWomen

Feministische Entwicklungspolitik