With multiple hindrances in its path, achieving optimal gender equality has been a long-standing universal goal, and there’s always more to be done despite the progression, and the Women Deliver Conference is holding discussions that just may bridge the gender gaps. The highly anticipated Women Deliver Conference began on a high note as the president and Chief Executive Officer Maliha Khan highlighted the need for a gender-equal world, and how inclusive environments foster a space for open conversations and progression. This occurred during a press conference to kick off the conference on July 17. “Gender Equality cannot be achieved without free and open spaces. Spaces that are accessible, spaces that are inviting and inclusive. The Women Deliver Conference is one of those spaces. There are other spaces that need to be accessible for girls and women to live in while pursuing their goals. However, these spaces are often under the control of governments, families, and existing policies. To achieve gender equality it’s important that these spaces remain open and democratic, and remain respectful to every individual despite identity,” said Khan “A woman is any person who identifies as a woman, has been identified by others as a girl or a woman, and has the lived reality of what it is to be a girl or a woman. This is who we are including in our spaces and that is who we are trying to fight for,” she added. ALSO READ: Empowering teen girls to gender equality The conference was also graced BY New Zealand’s former Prime Minister, Helen Clark, who strongly believes in Women Deliver’s ability to find solutions to the global challenges facing gender today. Clark also emphasised the importance of fighting the effects of the pandemic on gender, such as the 11 million girls that have been unable to return to school since the Covid-19 pandemic. “We have a lot of issues to sort through, most of them because of the pandemic. 11 million girls have not returned to school since 2020 and that’s a problem we should solve. I believe in Women Deliver’s ability to build solidarity and find solutions while sticking to the themes,” said Clark. Mary Robinson who currently sits on the Women Deliver board representing the elders, also weighed in on the matter, pointing out how essential it is to make the time and space for dialogues that can change a spectrum, and how important it is that these dialogues be taken into action rather than left to speech. Robinson was also formerly the President of Ireland and the first female head of state of the Irish people. ALSO READ: Which Presidents are attending the Women Deliver Conference “It is crucial that we uphold spaces where dialogues can be had. Feminism doesn’t do much good as a set of clichés and hashtags. We are living in an era with an unprecedented set of challenges, yet we also have the solutions to build a healthier future at our fingertips. The effects of polarisation and gender policy backsliding have inflicted our ability to have open dialogues and open democracy,” Robinson said. “We haven’t given up hope of a better tomorrow and the huge humps facing our world are sometimes used as an excuse to increase depression and revoke rights. Misogyny has increased on social media and open discussions about these issues is one step towards viable solutions,” she added.
