4th Commonwealth Women's Forum to be Held in Pacific SIDS during CHOGM

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is going to take place in Pacific Small Island Developing State (SIDS) for the first time in history. In addition, leaders from a total of 56 member countries will gather during the biennial event from October 21-26 in Apia, Samoa.

This particular event shall spotlight the urgent as well as unique challenges that are faced by SIDS that also includes climate change’s severe impact, economic vulnerabilities and gender inequality. Making sure of realities, it will bring global leaders from Commonwealth at the forefront of the global agenda.

In addition to CHOGM, the fourth Commonwealth Women's Forum is also set to take place on October 21 and 22, 2024. It will bring forth broader CHOGM discussions while having key focus on women in leadership, economic empowerment of women, gender and climate change and lastly, ending violence against women and girls.

Themba Kalua, the UN Samoa Resident Coordinator while speaking on Samoa UN Country Team’s behalf, stated, “The Commonwealth Women's Forum is a pivotal opportunity to showcase the strides made toward gender equality in Samoa, the Pacific, and the broader Commonwealth. Women play an essential role in building resilient communities, and through this Forum, we can shine a light on their contributions to shaping 'One Resilient Common Future.' The UN is proud to stand as a partner in this critical initiative. We hope the Forum will ignite the political will and strengthen partnerships necessary to eliminate violence against women, enhance women's political participation, and achieve economic empowerment for all women.”