Seven women from countries including Ukraine, Afghanistan and Bangladesh have written to G7 leaders to offer a first-hand perspective on how the world’s most pressing crises are affecting women and girls globally.
Despite crises and disasters disproportionately affecting women and girls, women are wholly underrepresented in political leadership and decision-making positions. Only 10 countries currently have a female head of state and only 13 countries have a woman head of government. Now, with the absence of Angela Merkel for the first time since 2005, this G7 will be the first summit without a female representative from a nation-state for 17 years.
In the letters, the women urge world leaders to ensure that female voices are heard and that the perspective of women and girls are front and centre as they seek to address major global issues, such as climate change and the war in Ukraine.