Moving the Needle on Gender Equality: A Women Deliver Mobilization Event at the 2019 Forum

Gender inequality continues to be key global concern. Unequal power relations between genders undermines our potential for progress around the world. When women and men do not have equal access to resources or equal opportunities to take part in decision-making, there are direct economic and social costs. Gender equality is therefore central to the creation of a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world.

As a cross-cutting theme in the work of both WUSC and CECI, at the 2019 International Forum, we will open our program with a plenary conversation on gender equality and young women’s leadership for development.

Around the world, young women are mobilizing their communities to address some of today’s greatest global challenges. Through their leadership, women are also helping to empower many other women and girls, both directly and indirectly. As they lend their talents and voices to their respective causes, these young women leaders also help shift perceptions on the role of women in global development, whether working directly on gender equality or on the many issues that impact women, such as climate change, forced migration, and civic engagement.

Moving the Needle on Gender Equality: Young women’s leadership for a more equitable and inclusive world will feature a discussion with four dynamic, powerful young women leaders to hear their take on the contributions of women to the global goals and advancing a more equitable and inclusive world.

Panelists include Dominique Souris, Co-founder and Executive Director, Youth Climate Lab; Danielle Coenga, Doctorante en science politique et études féministes, Université du Québec à Montréal; Rayene Bouzitoun, Member of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council; and Priscilla Panchol, Student, St. Francis Xavier University. The Panel will be moderated by Odette McCarthy, Director, Uniterra.

This panel is a Women Deliver Mobilization event, in advance of important global conversations on gender equality this summer when Canada will be the host country for the Women Deliver 2019 Conference – the world’s largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women in the 21st century.

More than 6,000 world leaders, parliamentarians, royals, private sector executives, civil society leaders, young people, advocates, academics, activists, and journalists from over 160 countries will gather in Vancouver from 3-6 June 2019. More than 100,000 more will participate online and in satellite sessions, such as this panel, across the globe before, during, and after the event. To power progress for girls and women, diverse groups must work together to make change. By seizing the global spotlight that comes with serving as host country, Canadians from all walks of life are actively creating a more gender equal world.