From Commitment to Action:Gender Equality and Women’s Rights in the Financing for Development Framework (New York, 11 December, 2014)

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Discussions on the post-2015 development agenda have shown strong and consistent support by countries from all regions for putting gender equality at the centre of the new global sustainable development framework. The Open Working Group proposed a standalone sustainable development goal on gender equality, as well as gender-sensitive targets in 11 out of 17 goals. This high level of ambition for gender equality must be matched by equally ambitious means of implementation. The Third International Conference on Financing for Development in July 2015 provides a critical opportunity to ensure that financing strategies are capable of delivering on gender equality and women’s rights commitments. Women’s rights can be integrated into the Financing for Development process by focussing on advancing gender equality through public expenditure, revenue raising, accountability of private sector investments, monitoring and evaluation, and direct financing.

This event brought together representatives from governments in the global north and south, and civil society to discuss how financing for development should support the achievement of gender equality and women’s rights. The event made an important contribution to:

  • Generating political will and momentum behind gender equality and women’s rights as an essential pillar of the new financing for development agenda;
  • Defining specific priorities for financing gender equality and women's rights, in both the public and private sectors, as a foundation for the implementation of new gender equality commitments;
  • Identifying best practices for accountability for gender equality and respect for women's rights, including effective collaboration between public and private sectors.