Project Expands Participation to Pacific Region 

After a hugely successful initial year, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA UK) is pleased to announce the continuation of its project ‘Strengthening Parliamentary Action to Address Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Modern Slavery in Supply Chains’, fully invested in by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for a second year. 

The project aims to increase the ability of parliamentarians to effectively address both modern slavery in supply chains and gender-based violence and, ultimately, to bring about a reduction in forced labour and violence against women and girls (VAWG). 

Despite laws criminalising these acts across the Commonwealth, they remain devastatingly persistent with 28 million estimated to be living in forced labour and one in three women having experienced violence due to their gender. Therefore, in its second year, the project will explore ways and techniques of strengthening existing legislation. 

The project's first year culminated with an awareness-raising workshop, attended by close to 50 parliamentarians from 12 Commonwealth legislatures. Earlier this year, a report on this workshop revealed that parliamentarians on the GBV and modern slavery programmes respectively saw a 43% and 26% increase in their understanding of these issues.   

Delegates take part in a 'mock' committee exercise during the first year of the programme

Inspired by the workshop, Parliamentarians signed joint declarations, pledging to raise these issues in their respective parliaments and calling on national leaders to address them multilaterally at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.  

While CHOGM takes place, CPA UK will reassemble parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth – including new and returning participants – in Westminster between 22-24 October for a ‘Legislative Strengthening Seminar’ to continue in their mission to eliminate forced labour and VAWG.  

The seminar will build upon the knowledge established in the project’s first year; parliamentarians will be guided by legal experts on ways of amending and strengthening existing legislation to address these issues.  

Furthermore, CPA UK has expanded participation to include Pacific Island legislatures, ensuring the project offers value to the entire Commonwealth.  

Commenting on the news, CPA UK’s Chief Executive Sarah Dickson OBE, said: “We are delighted that the FCDO is supporting the second phase of the project. This means, CPA UK can build on the knowledge and networks established in the project’s first year, enhancing parliamentarians’ abilities to address these issues through legislation.  

“Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth are passionately committed to ending gender-based violence and modern slavery – the resolutions they signed last year and their committed engagement with this project since then speak to that. We look forward to welcoming many of them to Westminster this year to continue this vital work”.