This week, in preparation for negotiations on the zero draft of the outcome document for the UN Summit to adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the Women’s Major Group released 10 “Red Flags” to highlight areas that must be strengthened in order to achieve the transformative change that women and girls envision. The lively event drew a host of governments, as well as civil society advocates and activists.
The Women’s Major Group’s 10 Red Flags demand that:
- Gender equality and the human rights of women and girls be recognized as a cross-cutting issue critical for the success of the post-2015 development agenda
- Commitments to human rights and inclusivity must be strengthened
- Commitments to civil society and major group participation must be strengthened
- The role of feminist and women’s organisations must be recognized and supported
- The role of the private sector must be regulated and its social, economic and environmental impacts assessed and remedied where appropriate
- The Political Declaration must emphasise commitments to the wellbeing of people and the planet
- The Vision and the Call for Action need to acknowledge the way in which the current economic model has contributed to inequalities and environmental degradation
- The goals and targets proposed by the Open Working Group should be fully endorsed, and there should be a clear path to devise ambitious indicators for the SDGs
- Means of Implementation must be prioritised for the Post-2015 agenda
- The commitments to monitoring, review and accountability must outline comprehensive processes for national, regional and global reviews
Governments’ response to the Red Flags has been positive, with their central messages having been highlighted in a number of government statements. The 10 Red Flags were also emphasised by Ambassador Patriota during a briefing hosted by the government of Brazil this week.
Alongside a speaker from RESURJ, the side event amplified the voices of women from the Forum of Women’s NGOs Kyrgyzstan, Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR)- New Ways, The Coalition on Violence Against Women in Kenya, the Khan Foundation in Bangladesh, The Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), The International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC), The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), and The Temple of Understanding.
The event kicked off a twitter chat about #WhatWomenWant, featuring women across the globe calling attention to the 10 Red Flags, and sharing selfies displaying their key priorities for the Agenda.
See more of what happened this week on the Women’s Major Group Twitter here