International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This day is also a call to action to accelerate gender parity. Important activities are being held around the world, with groups coming together to celebrate women’s achievements or mobilize for gender equality.
Celebrated every year on March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year for:
- Celebrate women’s achievements;
- Raise awareness of women’s equality;
- Lobby for accelerated gender parity;
- Fundraise for female-focused charities.
The theme for International Women’s Day on 8 March 2022 (IWD 2022) is “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”. It is about recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are leading the pack in climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.
Advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the greatest global challenges of the twenty-first century. Climate change and sustainability issues have had and will continue to have serious and lasting impacts on our environment and our economic and social development. Those who are amongst the most vulnerable and marginalized experience the deepest impacts. Women are increasingly being recognized as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men, as they constitute the majority of the world’s poor and are more dependent on the natural resources which climate change threatens the most.
At the same time, women and girls are effective and powerful leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. They are involved in sustainability initiatives around the world, and their participation and leadership results in more effective climate action. It is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality to continue to examine the opportunities, as well as constraints, that enable women and girls to have their voices heard and be equal actors in decision-making related to climate change and sustainability. Without gender equality today, a sustainable future, and an equal future, remains out of reach.
The PF-ICGLR urges parliaments and ICGLR Member States to adopt and implement international protocols aimed at containing and eradicating the negative effects of climate change for sustainable development and greater gender equality.
The Forum of Parliaments of the Member Countries of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR) is an inter-parliamentary organization that brings together the national parliaments of the 12 member states of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), namely: the Republic of Angola, the Republic of Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, the Republic of the the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of Uganda and the Republic of Zambia.
The Forum will hold the twelfth ordinary session of its Plenary Assembly and related meetings from 2 to 6 April 2022 in Nairobi, Republic of Kenya.
Kinshasa, March, 2022
