About Malaysia Women & Girls Forum
(MWGF)
MWGF is an annual event that brings together multiple stakeholders involved in the social and economic advancement of women and girls in Malaysia. The forum identifies, engages and tracks key social, economic and legislative changes that are needed to accelerate the rights and well-being of Malaysia’s women and girls. A mid-year review will be conducted with stakeholders (smaller version of the main event) to ascertain the progress, developments and updating the agenda for the main event.
MWGF is open to the public with panelists and speakers from the civil, non-governmental, academic, legislative, youth, public and private sectors representations respectively.
The Forum will be executed by its own secretariat (appointed by UNFPA on behalf of the UN Gender Results Group).
MWGF Objectives:
MWGF aims to be the bridge that connects the public, civil society and policy stakeholders in rapidly advancing the necessary social, economic and political solutions needed for Malaysia’s women and girls.
Funded and supported by the UN and UNFPA Malaysia, MWGF collectively amplifies, tracks and provides proactive recommendations and solutions on the progress of advancing the rights and wellbeing of the Malaysia’s women and girls.
MWGF Pillars:
1. Building towards the 2030 SDGs
2. Attaining Gender Equality
3. Ending Gender-based violence and Harmful Practices
4. Ending Unmet Need for Family Planning
5. Ending preventable Maternal death
6. Attaining full potential of young people
MWGF also provides opportunities for public engagement throughout the year as it reminds stakeholders and the public about its last resolution and building towards the next Forum.
BACKGROUND
In 1994, the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo (ICPD) articulated and affirmed the relationship between advancement and fulfilment of rights and gender equality and equity. It also clarified the concepts of women’s empowerment, gender equality, and reproductive health and rights. The Programme of Action of ICPD asserted that the empowerment and autonomy of women and the improvement of their political, social, economic and health status was a highly important end in itself, as well as essential for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was adopted by 179 Member States including Malaysia.
In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing generated global commitments to advance a wider range of women’s rights. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 reaffirmed this commitment with the inclusion of gender equality and women’s empowerment as SDG 5. This is a reminder that many of those promises have yet to be kept. SDG 5 recalls that gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.
In the efforts to implement those promises, UNFPA on behalf of the United Nations, as lead of the UN Gender Results Group has conceptualised the establishment of an independent platform namely the Malaysia Women and Girls Forum (MWGF) to enable an annual review of the progress of Malaysian women and girls.
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