On 29 September, diverse actors convened against the backdrop of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly to unveil and celebrate , who have made over 1,000 commitments to advance gender equality, and to discuss strategies to ensure the robust execution and global accountability of these commitments over the coming five years.
The virtual gathering took place following the monumental , which mobilized more than USD 40 billion of financial commitments, alongside powerful policy and programmatic commitments, to support key actions for gender equality. Building on this momentum, the commitment-makers that were instrumental in the Forum’s historic success were , offering the chance to recognize and celebrate the leaders who are taking a powerful stand for women and girls.
Opening the event, UN Women Deputy Executive Director, Åsa Regnér, celebrated the “unique opportunity” presented by the Action Coalitions and their , “to galvanize for the first time a coordinated, collective and multistakeholder response to the erosion we have seen of gender equality globally”.
The session was not just a moment for celebration, but also for the Action Coalition Leaders and commitment-makers to share their aspirations for the five-year action journey ahead. The speakers emphasized that translating the commitments into reality for women and girls will depend upon a robust and inclusive accountability framework, initial consultations for which are already underway.
“As we move to the Generation Equality Forum second phase, we have to provide effective follow-up on monitoring, maintain the momentum of this multi-sector effort and the transformative spirit”, said Ambassador Yanerit Morgan of Mexico. The Government of Mexico is one of the Leaders that have stepped as a member of the Action Coalition Accountability Working Group, which is advising on the distillation of diverse thinking, ideas and inputs into a strong accountability structure.
Speakers underscored that the successful implementation of the illustrative commitments is especially dependent on the voice and leadership of feminist and youth organizations. Generation Equality Youth Task Force Coordinator, Daren Paul Katigbak, agreed, celebrating the 94 youth-led organizations that have stepped up as commitment-makers and Leaders and calling for the continued amplification of underrepresented voices throughout the Action Coalition processes.
“It is our activism, our passion, and sometimes maybe a bit of our impatience, that has carried the Generation Equality Forum and Action Coalitions to this moment at this time. Real progress cannot be achieved without the meaningful engagement and co-leadership of adolescents and young people”, stated Katigbak.
The energetic event perfectly embodied the core principles of Generation Equality and its Action Coalitions – intersectionality, feminist and youth leadership, and transformation – conveying the dedication of the Leaders and Commitment Makers to upholding and integrating these values throughout their work over the coming five years. “The concrete aim of the Action Coalition process is to be as diverse, inclusive and participatory as possible. I think the Action Coalitions provide us all with an unprecedented opportunity to get this right”, said Cornelieke Keizer, Senior Policy Officer for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, urging other actors to join the coalition of Commitment Makers by making a bold commitment for gender equality. .
