Written answers

Tuesday, 22 June 2021

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Gender Equality

Photo of Jennifer Carroll MacNeillJennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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341. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline Ireland's vision and priorities for the forthcoming Generation Equality Forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33448/21]

Photo of Colm BrophyColm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Generation Equality Forum hosted by the Government of France and convened by UN Women will take place in Paris from 30 June to 2 July.  Ireland has engaged closely with the preparatory process, including through my participation at the virtual high-level event hosted by the Government of Mexico in March. 

The Paris Forum will launch a series of ambitious actions to further progress gender equality.  My focus has been on improving access to girls' education. This builds on a 2020 Irish initiative, called the Drive for Five, working with UN Women, the Malala Fund and others. Ireland has actively championed girls' education and gender transformative education in the preparations for Paris, reflecting its importance to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ireland will submit a number of commitments under the Generation Equality process, covering both domestic and international policy areas. They will include work to end gender-based violence, to increase access to sexual and reproductive health services, and to increase funding to women’s rights organisations.

Domestically, Ireland will commit to a series of gender equality actions, responding to the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality from June 2021.  Ireland will also take measures to advance women’s leadership in government, the arts, culture and sports sectors, in the further and higher education sector, and in senior business leadership.

Ireland has committed to investing at least US$50 million in global women’s rights over the next 5 years.  Ireland also recognises the transformative role of education for gender equality, and this is why I have pledged €60 million to the Global Partnership for Education over the next five years, with €10 million earmarked to the Girls’ Accelerator Mechanism.

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