Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to achieve gender parity among participants in all meetings and events at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in the UK in April.

We are working closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat, member states and women's associations to ensure that women and women's rights issues feature throughout the week of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April and across all policy areas. The Women's Forum in particular will consider a range of issues related to women's political, economic and social participation. The three other forums are for youth, civil society and business. We are encouraging all forums to have speakers that reflect the diversity of the Commonwealth. The forums, including civil society and women-led organisations, will have the opportunity to feed into the Heads of Government discussions. Support will be provided to members of civil society organisations, including women-led organisations and youth representatives, to attend the four forums.