Gender equality in local government is key to the work of CLGF and it was very timely for the interests of local government to be heard as part of the 13^th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (WAMM) held last month in the Bahamas.

This important meeting ended with the ministers with responsibility for women‘s affairs from Commonwealth Countries committing to a roadmap to scale up efforts to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls, especially in climate action. The details of which are contained within the Outcomes Statement for the event.

Convened under the theme Equality Towards a Common Future, the three-day meeting took place from 21 to 23 August 2023 and was chaired by Bahamas MP and Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, Hon Obediah H. Wilchcombe. The Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting, or WAMM, serves as the principal decision-making body for Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers to review progress made toward achieving four Commonwealth priorities for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Representing CLGF was Keithtarror Munroe, MP and Deputy Chief Councillor from the Department of Local Government, West Grand Bahama, who took part in a panel session chaired by the Commonwealth Secretariat. She joined two other speakers from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL) to share experiences from their networks. The aim was to increase understanding of the challenges faced by women in leadership and make recommendations for practical action across the Commonwealth including WAMM, ComSec and other Commonwealth Organisations.

CLGF was also represented at an event hosted by another of our partners on the first evening, entitled: Perspectives, possibilities and potential from 13WAMM for Women’s Economic Empowerment and Women in Leadership.