We are pleased to announce that we are part of the "G7 Gender Coalition", which brings together civil society actors from France and other countries to promote the issues of gender equality during the French presidency of G7 in 2019 *.

The coalition aims at carrying out joint advocacy work to urge the G7 countries to take ambitious actions in favour of women’s rights and make financial commitments on the subject, building on the work of the civil society during the Canadian G7 last year and more broadly on the dynamics of promotion and defence of women’s rights around the world.

Since assuming the presidency of the G7 on 1 January 2019, France has officially placed the fight against inequalities, particularly gender inequalities, at the heart of its priorities. The main axes on which France will be focusing are the elimination of gender-based violence by promoting the ratification the Istanbul Convention and globalizing it; girls’ education and women’s economic empowerment. The French Presidency will culminate with the G7 Summit of Heads of States and Governments to be held in Biarritz (France) from 24 to 26 August 2019.

The ’’ G7 Gender Coalition ’’ is coordinated by a steering committee composed of 9 entities: Animafac, CARE France, UN Women France Committee, Equipop, Solidarity Women, Humanity Diaspo, Oxfam France, Plan International France and Family Planning.

In preparation to the G7 summit, the Gender Coalition puts forward the following recommendations:

- Urge G7 states to commit to the adoption and implementation of feminist diplomacy by, particularly, ensuring gender mainstreaming in their public assistance to development.

- Encourage states to promote the emancipation of adolescent girls through policies that improve their access to quality, inclusive and equitable education and their access to health services, in particular sexual and reproductive health and rights.

- Call on the G7 states to ensure that women everywhere in the world have access to decent work and are living in an environment free of all forms of violence, both in the formal and informal economy.

Among the G7 upcoming events, the Women 7 Summit is expected in May 2019. The summit will stress on the importance of women’s rights and make official recommendations to G7 representatives with the presence of representatives from the South. The summit will be held at the initiative of civil society organizations and in consultation with the public authorities in charge of organizing the G7 Summit.

For more information you can visit the G7 official website and read the article of Adéquations, a member of our Network, which is available only in French.You can also consult the attached document which details the main objectives of the Gender / G7 Coalition, its functioning and the organization of Women 7.

* The G7 is a group of seven of the world’s most industrialized and developed economies. Their political leaders meet every year to discuss important economic, political, social and security issues at the global level. The seven members of the group are France, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. The group has a rotating presidency.