Advocacy

WROs and women leaders are facilitated to meaningfully participate in key meetings and influence policy, programmes and legislation, with British soft power and diplomatic leverage helping to protect civic space.

WOSSO proposes focusing on 17 international gatherings:

  • The Sustainable Development Goal SDG- related forums and UN General Assembly. The High Level Forum in September 2023 marks a half- way point of the SDGs. SDG+10 will occur in September 2025.
  • The Conference of the People (COP) global climate negotiations are a critical space for raising the nexus between gender and climate justice.
  • The once every two years Commonwealth Heads of State and Government (CHOGM) meeting is a significant gathering of developed and developing countries, especially small island states,  where recent efforts to strengthen the voice of civil society, especially WR organisations, needs to be strengthened. This is also a significant policy-influencing forum for FCDO.
  • The G20 is a powerful mainstream gathering of developed and developing nations in which the voice of women, needs to be strengthened. Depending on guidance from the IAC (and the substance of the meetings) G20 meetings may be alternated with G7 meetings. G20 meetings have the advantage that they bring together leaders from both developed and developing countries. The next meeting (September 2023) will take place in New Delhi, India.

For meaningful participation at each of these suggested events, WOSSO will utilise our existing connections with organisers, WROs and networks. For maximum impact, we suggest that interventions supported at national and regional level link to these global processes.