5th IBSA Women's Forum Resolution was approved by India, Brazil and South Africa

India, Brazil and South Africa approved the fifth India Brazil South Africa (IBSA) Women’s Forum Resolution, in New Delhi on 16 May 2013. The main points of the resolution are as following:

• The joint resolution stated that the three countries are committed to recognizing the key role of government with the support of civil society to ensure and accelerate all efforts towards achieving gender equality and empowerment of women.
• It also acknowledges the Forum’s shared commitment to various international conventions on rights of women and girls.
• The resolution recommends the following- to end violence against women and girls; to work towards economic empowerment of women, especially rural and marginalized women; to promote gender responsive budgeting, and equitable and sustainable development.

Through this Resolution the three countries commit to working for women’s empowerment and for fighting gender-based discrimination and violence against women in all forms. The platform of the IBSA is for enhanced efforts for continuously engendering the policies and programmes of the three countries and for mainstreaming the marginalized sections. The violence perpetuates discrimination against women, and there are increasing instances of growing violence against women, which strengthens the need for concerted efforts to fight such discrimination and injustice.

IBSA platform has the three largest democracies from the southern continent and their joint efforts through this forum will go a long way in mainstreaming the debate of women’s issues.