Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians and delivering a common future: Connecting, Innovating Transforming

Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson, Hon. Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA, National Assembly of Pakistan

Nobody could have thought through the enormous implications and resonance of the Commonwealth theme of ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming’ when it was first launched some time ago.

Not since the Second World War has our ‘common future’ been so uncertain than in the post-COVID world that holds all of our futures in the balance. The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us that whether we wish it or not, we stand united for the protection of our lives, our world, our planet, our people, and our Parliaments. Isolationism is passé and will not ensure a future of any sort.

To further its vision, the Commonwealth focused on ‘Connecting, Innovating, Transforming’ as laying the seeds of the elements that are capable of delivering that golden ‘common future’ and these will be found in: Governance and the Rule of Law; Information, Communication Technology & Innovation; Youth; and the Environment.

To put it simplistically, ‘Connecting’ in its most literal sense is what is (unfortunately) responsible for the uncontrolled spread of the current pandemic. However, I’m proud to state that both the CPA and CWP in particular have managed to use the power of ICT and technology to stay connected, plan, work and deliver during the current time. Some of the CWPs most innovative pieces of work have emerged during this pandemic, including the CWP 2020-2022 Strategic Plan, our CWP Anti-harassment and Bullying Guidelines, the CWP’s Gender-Sensitive Parliament Guidelines, and for the first time, collaboration with international organisations.

This work reflects our will and power to stay the course, to innovate and produce work that touches the lives of all women Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth and enables them to deliver on transforming the futures of their constituents. And what is more is that the CWP is working to ensure that we reflect our own guidelines and enabling aspects of our work to connect and transform the entire CPA. One readily available example is the role that the CWP has had in the development of the CPA-wide Strategic Plan 2022-2025 that was recently launched by the CPA Secretary-General. The CWP, while keeping its own vision for the empowerment and growth of women Parliamentarians, as well as seeking to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, is also looking at how the rest of the CPA re-positions itself in a new world order.

This does beg the important question of distinction i.e., how does the CPA differ from similarly situated organisations that all are working on connected projects such as the UN Agenda 2030, and delivering on a ‘common future’?

For me, the answer lies in the traditional staying power of the CPA, which has skillfully adapted itself to a post-colonial world, recognising that the world has moved on in so many ways and taking charge of its destiny in a world of new technology and AI. The aspirations of all Members of Parliament have to be taken into account to keep our diverse coalition of different colours, races and religions together, as what binds the CPA is its reverence to the values of democracy, equality and good governance in the Commonwealth. Why this is critical is simply due to the fact that the world has no precedent of stability and that difficult times are inevitable; as a case in point, with a post COVID-19 situation, the world has yet to experience more fundamental changes.

“This work reflects our will and power to stay the course, to innovate and produce work that touches the lives of all women Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth and enables them to deliver on transforming the futures of their constituents. And what is more is that the CWP is working to ensure that we reflect our own guidelines and enabling aspects of our work to connect and transform the entire CPA.”

The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson, Hon. Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA is pictured welcoming the late CPA Chairperson, Hon. Emilia Lifaka, MP to Islamabad, Pakistan in July 2019 on the occasion of the 5th CPA Asia Regional Conference. The late CPA Chairperson was a vocal champion for the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) and gender equality in Parliaments.

My view is that the CPA must hold on to two seemingly opposed yet complementary values, traditionalism and modernism. The CPA must attain the status of an international organisation externally, yet ensure that while this process is in in action, we must internally change our mindsets, our practices and our approach to equality as well. To that end, there are two CPA Working Groups that are striving to take this forward – the Working Group on Constitutional Reform and the Working Group on Governance, both looking at the future of the CPA. These two groups are working diligently with the new CPA Secretary-General to ensure that the CPA retains its relevance in a new world order.

By way of example, in relation to the CWP, the CPA Executive Committee has accepted two Constitutional amendments proposed by the CPA New Zealand Branch to ensure that Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians have fair representation in the future Commonwealth Parliamentary Conferences (CPC). These proposed amendments will be tabled before the next CPA General Assembly in the upcoming 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Canada (now due to be held in 2022), marking a small but significant change in how the CPA puts into practice its pledge to ensure gender equality and its commitment to SDG5. This is the essence of signaling through changes to the CPA on gender equality that sends a message to the wider Commonwealth and the rest of the world about how we intend to stay true to our values, our traditions and more importantly, for fairness in our dealings with all CPA and CWP Members.

The impact of women’s empowerment and its signaling to a wider society takes on many different forms in all aspects of life. For example, it is interesting that Victoria’s Secret, an American lingerie, clothing and beauty retailer known for its high visibility marketing and branding, has decided to stop the use of female models to display its products, essentially ‘human mannequins on a ramp’. The decision of this group was made in line with objections from various women’s groups that opposed the objectification of women disguised as empowerment. Whether this decision was made in keeping with these objections or the impact of falling market prices, the signaling effect has been made and people are listening and watching for transformation in our value systems.

The survival of the traditional values of the CPA lies in upholding a dedication to evolution and the struggle for a world where we all stand on the same elevated platform, connecting through innovation, leading to transformation.

This article, and all others that come after it, are dedicated to the loving memory of the late Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association - a mother, a leader and a unifier. May you rest in eternal peace.