Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland – Part 1

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland. In the first part of this two part interview, the Secretary General provides some context about the Commonwealth, describing it as an association of 54 independent and equal countries, comprising almost a third of the world’s population; emphasizing that no country is greater than another and everything is done by consensus. We discuss the Commonwealth’s response to COVID-19 including a virtual platform dubbed the COVID-19 resource centre; its conscious and consistent outlook on women and women’s empowerment. The Commonwealth’s work on and eliminating domestic violence is encapsulated in its No More campaign. Domestic violence affects one in three women around the world and has both social and economic impact. For example, the Seychelles loses US$65million annually to violence against women and girls. Consider the economic opportunities that could be created in every country if violence against women was eliminated? Tune in for more…