For the first time, the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will convene a separate forum addressing women’s issues, where the ACU has been invited to take part. The Women’s Forum, entitled Women Ahead: be all that you can be – taking place from 22-24 November 2015 in Valetta, Malta – will raise awareness of women’s issues in Commonwealth countries and show how women’s contributions can have a positive impact politically, economically, and socially.

Under the themes of education for all, leadership, entrepreneurship, women and the media health, and women and innovation, the forum will provide a platform to look at good practice and opportunities for women in the Commonwealth.

‘The idea of a separate forum bringing gender issues to the forefront of Commonwealth governance is key to mainstreaming it,’ said Joyce Achampong, Director of External Engagement at the ACU. ‘Not only is it important to have it as its own stream, but it is crucial to ensure that it is also on the main agenda for the heads of government. Too often, policies are created without keeping in mind the millions of women and girls within our 53 country family, and it does not help further any society to leave out over half of its population’.

Celebrating its 30th year, the ACU Gender Programme has supported the recruitment and retention of women in higher education leadership and management, as well as promotion of gender equity as integral to institutional development.

The programme aims to improve the management of higher education institutions in the Commonwealth by:

• Increasing both the quantity and quality of trained women leaders and managers in higher education institutions in the Commonwealth
• Introducing a range of gender equity training strategies and materials that are replicable, or may be adapted for use, in all Commonwealth countries
• Making these training materials easily and widely accessible
• Providing gender equity training opportunities and support for the development of trainers and consultants at national and regional levels
• Building a support network of women professionals who are already, or who have the potential to be, leaders in higher education

The ACU portion of the shared session will be led by Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and Professor Louise Morley, University of Sussex, UK, and will discuss women and educational leadership as well as gender mainstreaming.