3 questions to Delphine O, Ambassador and General Secretary of the Forum Génération Égalité

Partnering with civil society, the Generation Equality Forum is a global gathering designed to promote gender equality.

Interview with Delphine O, Ambassador and General Secretary of the Forum Génération Égalité

Focus 2030 : On the occasion of March 8th, France wishes to highlight the crucial role of women in conflict resolution, prevention and resolution, as well as in peacebuilding. This agenda aligns with Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace and Security", unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council in 2000. Could you tell us more about France’s position on this issue and the actions planned to implement this agenda ?

Delphine O : In Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Israel and Gaza, women are the primary civilian victims of violence in crises and conflicts. They represent most Ukrainian civilians who had to flee the country following the Russian aggression of February 19, 2022. With no access to economic resources and limited mobility, they are also specific targets of sexual violence in conflict zones.

Resolution 1325 and the Women, Peace and Security Agenda unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council on October 31, 2000, recognized both their special status as victims and the specific role that girls and women can and must play in preventing conflicts and contributing to their resolution, by helping to build peace. Yet in 24 years, the situation has not changed significantly, and the urgency remains the same. On the one hand, in 2022, 614 million women and girls were living in countries affected by conflict, exposed to an increased risk of sexual violence used as a weapon of war. On the other hand, women’s full and equal participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding remains largely insufficient. The recent events and the growing number of armed conflicts remind us of our international obligations to protect women and promote their role in negotiations.

In 2021, France adopted a third national action plan for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda for the period 2021-2025, which emphasizes the importance of the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in the maintenance of peace and security, as well as the need to combat all forms of sexual and gender-based violence in crisis and conflict situations. Our actions in this area are numerous, and have gained in intensity in recent years.

France has supported the Global Fund for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, created by Nobel Peace Prize laureates Dr. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, since its inception in 2018. It has renewed its financial contribution of 6 million euros for the next three years, following an initial contribution of 8.2 million euros over 2020-2022; the fund, active in the DRC, Guinea, Iraq and Turkey, will be investing in Ukraine. We have also stepped up our involvement in programs run by UNFPA and UN Women in Ukraine to help women victims of sexual violence, providing them with medical, psychological and economic support. Finally, France is deliberately committed to the fight against impunity, and has stepped up its support for the International Criminal Court’s investigation of war crimes, and in particular sexual crimes, in Ukraine, while providing direct support to the police and justice forces.

The year 2024 will be a milestone year for French feminist diplomacy, which will adopt its International Strategy in this area. This strategy will place the rights of girls and women in the context of crises and conflicts at the heart of its priorities, in conjunction with the Humanitarian Strategy and the Prevention, Resilience and Sustainable Peace Strategy of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Focus 2030 : You are the Ambassador and Secretary General of the Generation Equality Forum (GEF), that took place in 2021, an initiative that raised $40 billion in commitments for gender equality and during which France pledged to allocate 400 million euros in favor of Sexual and Reproductive Rights (SRHR) over the following five years. Given the numerous backlashes against women’s rights around the world, starting with the Roe vs Wade reversal in 2022 in the United States, do you think that the French initiative to constitutionalize the "freedom guaranteed to women" to access abortion could send a strong signal to the rest of the world ?

Delphine O : The Generation Equality Forum, which France hosted in Paris in 2021, co-chaired with Mexico and under the aegis of UN Women, launched six Action Coalitions, including the Action Coalition on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, of which France is the champion. To this end, France has pledged 400 million euros to promote SRHR between 2021 and 2025. The promotion of SRHR is absolutely crucial, as these rights lie at the crossroads of three priorities: the promotion of human rights and fundamental individual freedoms, the defense of gender equality, and public health.

The international scene is full of contrasts when it comes to abortion rights. On the one hand, several countries have recently legalized abortion, sometimes discreetly (Argentina, Benin, Sierra Leone), while others have extended the legal waiting period (Thailand) or facilitated medical abortion (Japan). On the other hand, many countries have tightened their legislation (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, USA), or have taken a step backwards, putting hundreds of millions of women at risk. These counter-attacks, this "backlash" against rights that were thought to have been taken for granted, are taking place in a frontal and totally "unabashed" manner, in a worrying context of rising anti-rights movements, which openly advocate a regression in the rights of girls, women and LGBT people.

By becoming the first country in the world to enshrine abortion in the Constitution, France would be sending out an extremely strong signal in favor of the freedom of all women worldwide, in this context of shrinking rights.

In addition to securing the abortion right in France, which is essential regarding the regressions observed, even in neighboring European countries (Poland, Italy), this historic legal advance carries an essential message: we will not let ourselves be taken for a ride, and we will be intransigent with regard to fundamental rights. Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which prompted governments to toughen their anti-abortion legislation and galvanized anti-rights movements, the constitutionalization of abortion in France could encourage other states to strengthen the protection of this right, or even to follow the French example. This is a message of hope for women and feminist movements worldwide.

Focus 2030 : You recently wrote a book entitled "La diplomatie féministe est un sport de combat" (Feminist diplomacy is a combat sport), which takes stock of the struggle for gender equality since the beginning of the 20th century. The internationalization of the fight for women’s rights has since been characterized by numerous summits, events and movements, and today fifteen countries have officially adopted a feminist foreign policy. Beyond the differences between each of these countries, what directions do you think need to be taken to advance the cause of equality faster and stronger ?

Delphine O : In order to advance the cause of gender equality faster and stronger, and to better protect the rights of women and girls at risk, collaboration between various players is key. We work closely with states that have a feminist foreign policy, but we also need to form coalitions with governments that are less advanced in this area, on every continent; with private sector companies and philanthropic foundations, whom we encourage to invest more in the field of gender equality. This was the spirit of the Génération Egalité Forum - to create multi-stakeholder coalitions that transcend geographical, cultural and political differences - which continues to drive us.

At the same time, support for grassroots feminist organizations is key in the fight against gender inequality. Launched in 2020, the Fonds de Soutien aux Organisations Féministes has supported over 1,000 feminist associations in 75 countries to the tune of 136 million euros, over the period 2020-2023. This fund has been renewed to the tune of 250 million euros for the years 2023 - 2027, making France the world’s leading financier of feminist civil society organizations. In this way, support for activists, human rights defenders and feminist civil society organizations on the front line against discrimination has become the cornerstone of our feminist diplomacy.

Finally, we need to invest in new fields of action, such as climate change and the digital revolution. We know that women are the big losers in both global warming and the green and digital revolutions - even though they could have gained considerably in terms of empowerment. This is why 2024 will see the official launch of the Laboratory for Women’s Online Rights, a multi-stakeholder exchange platform that will bring together states, international organizations, tech platforms, researchers and NGOs to better prevent and combat sexist and sexual cyber-violence. The Lab will incubate a number of association-led projects each year, helping to advance research and solutions in this field.

Our commitment to equality and the fight against discrimination and violence continues, in every field and in every geography; this is the meaning of the "combat sport" that is feminist diplomacy.

NB: The opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the ideas of Focus 2030.