What the G7 Got Right—and Wrong—About Gender Equality

When the United States takes up leadership of the G7 next year, there’s one aspect of the French playbook it should follow: recognizing the importance of gender equality to the G7 agenda. 

Foreign leaders attending the French-led G7 summit last weekend found little consensus on pressing foreign-policy challenges, including climate change, tensions with Iran, and a growing trade war. While France was roundly criticized for departing from past practice and failing to pursue a traditional outcome document, when the United States takes up leadership of the group of leading industrial nations next year, there’s one aspect of the French playbook it should follow: recognizing the importance of gender equality to the G7 agenda.

For the second year running, the G7 made gender equality one of the five central themes of the summit. G7 leaders held a session entirely focused on women’s empowerment. The keynote address came from members of the G7’s second Gender Equality Advisory Council, which was composed this year of champions of the cause such as the Nobel Peace Prize laureates Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad.

Read the full article in Foreign Policy >>