A million women cannot be ignored: Conscious actions for planet, people and peace
G100 – Sweden, Stockholm+50 meetings, 31st May to 3 June
It was most inspiring to be in Sweden. Ever leading the gender equality agenda from the forefront, it is the first to have a feminist foreign policy, which means that all decision making is seen through the lens of whether or not it further the Rights, Representation and Resources for women, in pursuit of gender equality, harmonising power, influence, voice and vision across genders.
The G100 meetings were held alongside the Stockholm+50, a two-day international meeting convened by UN, hosted by Sweden and supported by Kenya to rethink and renew commitment to accelerated actions for a sustainable future for all.
Across our deliberations, the role of women and women’s leadership was highlighted toward achieving progress and outcomes on all UN SDGs , especially climate. G100 is leading a model for the same – if we can raise the transnational efforts to focus on SDG 5 of Gender Equality in all walks of life alongside our accelerated actions for climate, then we can all surely achieve the delivery of the SDGs by 2030 as envisaged.
The event at the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) followed by a tour was most empowering. Standing on the shoulders of women of courage, we saw how women’s leadership and robust participation is key to driving change on all fronts. The example of Sweden on gender mainstreaming and large number of women in leading positions offered powerful lessons on delivering the change for women and by women.
Paving pathways for women to lead in decision making roles, promoting principled policies in institutions, continuing conversations on our common humanity and equality, building the women’s movement in solidarity with women and men, along with political and cultural will to change and challenge patriarchal norms, as well as frameworks of legislations and policies – the above helped equalise asymmetrical economic and power relations over the years and amplified women’s voices and agency, especially for sexual and reproductive rights, mitigating violence against women, participation for peace, promotion of human rights and welfare, and case for disarmament.
In our meeting with the Hon’ble UNGA President at the Stockholm +50 event, we offered our support for having the first woman UNSG. He shared that he was already leading that effort and welcomed our support.
We also proposed to Hon’ble Foreign Minister of Sweden to host in 2025 a Stockholm 50:50 conference on Gender + Climate, sustainability and solidarity with women and men worldwide equally participating toward a more inclusive future. G100 would fully support such an endeavour.
Convenor & Navigator: We extend our deepest gratitude to our Convenor Bodil Valero, G100 Global Chair – Security & Defence, robustly supported by the organising team of Country Chairs and Global Denim Club Partner, Alyn Ware. Our utmost regards to our Region Chairs, Elisabeth Björnsdotter Rahm, host in the parliament, and in the Region Desirée Pethrus.
Participating Delegates
G100 Secretariat Global Team
1. Dr. Harbeen Arora – Founder & President, G100 Club
2. Vinay Rai – Founder & President, G100 Denim Club
G100 Global Chairs
1. Bodil Valero – Security & Defence
2. Anja Carron – Circular Economy
3. Dr. Aurora Martin – Inter-Cultural Dialogue
4. Confidence Staveley- Cybersecurity
Global Denim Club Partners
1. Alyn Ware – Security & Defence
Along with Country Chairs as in Program
Program
31st May
11.00 am -12.00 noon
– meeting with Sofia Calltorp, Ambassador for Gender Equality & Co-ordinator of the Feminist Foreign Policy.
1 June
9am onwards
Connections between Climate, Peace and Human security
An inter-generational dialogue
Location: Swedish Parliament, Skandiasalen
Associated event to the UNEP Stockholm +50
Description:
The impacts of climate change threaten human security in many ways. Extreme weathers, food shortage, climate refugees are some examples, but these impacts can also create or intensify conflicts. Conversely, armed conflict adds to carbon emissions and diverts financial resources and political attention from achieving climate action goals. This dialogue between parliamentarians, experts and young professionals will explore the connections between climate, peace and human security.
Organizers: Elisabeth Björnsdotter Rahm, G100 Security and Defence Wing, Parliamentarians for Non-proliferation and Nuclear Disarmament (PNND)
Moderator:
• Doris Wagner (Germany). G100 Security and Defence Wing Germany
Program:
1. Welcome speech
• Lotta Fornarve MP (Sweden). Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Parliament
2. Presentation G100:
• Harbeen Arora Rai (India). Founder of G100, Women Economic Forum, All Ladies League and SHEconomy, WICCI (Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
3. G100 Security and Defence Wing:
• Bodil Valero (Sweden), Global chair G100 Security and Defence Wing
4. Panel 1 Theme: Climate and peace, followed by Q&A
• Patricia Kameri-Mbote (Kenya). Director Law division, United Nations Environmental Programme
• Michaela Sorensen (Mozambique/Denmark). Program Officer for the PNND Gender, Peace and Security Program. Core team member of Youth Fusion
• Alyn Ware (New Zealand/Czech Republic). PNND Global Coordinator. Team Leader for the Climate – Nuclear Disarmament Nexus program.
5. Panel 2 Theme: Climate and human security, followed by Q&A
• Jens Holm. Member of Swedish Parliament, former Member of European Parliament
• Olatokunbo Ige (Nigeria/Togo). Founder of The Livingstones Resource Center Togo
• Kehkashan Basu (UAE/Canada). Founder, Green Hope Foundation. UN Human Rights Champion. Winner, 2016 International Children’s Peace Prize.
6. Closing remarks:
• Elisabeth Björnsdotter Rahm (Sweden). Member of the Swedish Parliament. Chair G100 Security and Defence Wing Västerbotten
After the seminar G100 gets a guided tour in the parliament followed by lunch in the parliaments restaurant.
1 June: 3pm – 5pm
Meetings:
• with SIOS, Samarbetsorgan för etniska organisationer i Sverige (SIOS) [Forum for Cooperation between Ethnic Organisations in Sweden], a migrant-led, non-political and non-religious independent organisation since 1972. It consults and supports the work of state bodies and anti-discrimination agencies.
• Petra Tötterman Andorff, Secretary General, Kvinna till Kvinna
• Ulrika Karlsson, Former MP; President World Women Parliamentarians
1 June: 6pm
Meet and Greet at Sheraton Stockholm
2nd of June
10 -11.30 am meetings at Stockholm Region Administration with
• Desirée Pethrus, Regional Chair for Healthcare Development (former Member of Parliament),
• Richard Sundbom, Administrative Director,
• Martin Tegnér, chef för Command Center, Karolinska University Hospital
3 June
09.00-10.00am
Stockholm +50 event at Stockholmsmässan co-hosted by the President of the General Assembly, and the Government of Sweden, and the United Nations Foundation.
The title of the event is “Achieving a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic: (Re) shaping economies that work for women.
Meeting on the occasion with
His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
10.10-10.20am
Meeting with H.E. Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden at Stockholmsmässan