RDFL Participates in Tunis Forum on Gender Equality

The Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering – RDFL, represented by the advocacy coordinator Sara El Outa, participated in the Tunis Forum on Gender Equality that took place April 24-26 and was organized by the Government of Tunisia and the United Nations Development Programme and UN Women. The Forum brought together over 500 participants representing 70 countries from around the world.

The Tunis Forum took place one year before the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, as well as one year before the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 which set the standard for women, peace and security. The Tunis Forum also took place before the first Global Sustainable Development Report is presented to the autumn summit on the SDGs and was an opportunity to integrate and connect the key elements of these processes and highlight the important role that civil society can play.

In addition, the Tunis Forum explored the potential transformative role of women participating in local spaces/local government; in helping render cities safer for women; in working towards more sustainable cities and in re-envisioning transportation systems and public spaces so that they respond to the differing needs of all sections of the population, whatever their gender, age or physical ability. It provided a platform to explore the role of new trends in innovation and technology in encouraging women’s economic empowerment.

The Tunis Forum is considered a follow up to the Stockholm Forum held in April 2018 and will continue the spirit of co-creation in putting together the agenda including the successful model of holding simultaneous sessions, co-organized and hosted by a wide range of organizations.