GWL Voices at the GR40 Strategy Briefing in Geneva with GQUAL

One year after the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) adopted General Recommendation 40 (GR40)—establishing 50/50 parity as the universal norm for gender equality—GWL Voices participated in a high-level Strategy Roundtable at the United Nations in Geneva.

Invited by GQUAL, and co-organized with OHCHR and the Permanent Missions of Chile, Mexico, France and Spain, the discussion gathered governments, UN agencies, civil society and experts to take stock of GR40 implementation and chart the path forward.

Representing GWL Voices, Ms. Cristina Gallach, Board Secretary, underscored that GR40 transforms parity from an aspiration into an obligation. It establishes a clear mandate, requires dedicated resources, and sets rules and responsibilities that States must respect and implement.

Our findings from the Women in Multilateralism (WIM) reports confirm persistent structural barriers:

• the underrepresentation of women across multilateral institutions,

• opaque and discretionary appointment processes, and

• a lack of transparency in nominations.

GR40 validates this evidence and provides a legal tool to correct these inequalities systematically—including at the highest levels of global governance. Moreover, during the event insights from organizers and participants from governments, UN entities, and civil society reaffirmed the immense potential of GR40 as a global obligation.

In addition, Ms. Gallach acknowledged the importance of the work led by Ms. Nahla Haidar, President of the CEDAW Committee, the Committee members present, and Ms. Nicole Ameline, Chair of the GR40 Drafting Group.

Operationalizing GR40: A Shared Responsibility

For GR40 to deliver change, it must be known, understood and operationalized by governments, with strong engagement from civil society. Ms. Gallach emphasized that parity is a human right—not a quota—and called for GR40 to be fully embedded across the work of the Human Rights Council.

GR40 is central to GWL Voices’ advocacy ahead of the 2026 UN Secretary-General selection because for the first time in UN history parity constitutes a legal obligation, evidence of persistent inequality is overwhelming, and global demand for women’s leadership is unmistakable.

After 80 years without a woman at the helm of the United Nations, the selection of the next SG is an essential test of GR40’s relevance, credibility and transformative potential. If parity is now the universal standard, it must also guide leadership at the very top. For GWL Voices, achieving parity is indispensable for a legitimate, effective and future-ready multilateral system.

GWL Voices continues working on its Madam Secretary-General campaign and thanks to the Permanent Representatives and Deputy Permanent Representatives of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Mexico, and Spain. Their determination and leadership show the way forward. In addition, GWL Voices thanks to the GQUAL team—Claudia Martin, María Noel Leoni, Alejandra Vicente, and Agathe Ciancaglini—for their tireless work and invitation.