VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 8 - Canadian Ambassador Cameron MacKay pledged to work alongside 39 other ambassadors and three directors general from the Indonesian Foreign Ministry to strengthen their commitment to gender inclusion to mark International Women's Day.

All of them vowed to participate as a speaker or panel member in only those public panels, conferences, or webinars where women feature on the panel. However, this does not apply to the case of women serving as moderators or as masters of ceremonies (MCs), as these are often facilitating roles instead of treating women as equals during public discourse.

"Despite comprising half the world’s population, women’s voices are still under-represented in, and sometimes excluded from, public discussions. We need to change this," according to Ambassador MacKay, as noted in a release issued by the Canadian Embassy in Jakarta and received here on Monday.

"I am very pleased that so many colleagues from the diplomatic community and the Indonesian Foreign Ministry have joined me in making this meaningful contribution toward gender equality. By helping to end all-male panels, or ‘manels’, we will better represent the diverse world we live in and help to ensure that women’s voices are heard and that they can participate equally in society. I invite others to join us in taking the ‘No Manel’ pledge," he stated.

The "No Manel Pledge" was first initiated by the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Indonesia, Valerie Julliand, earlier this year.

Currently, 40 embassies, including Canada, Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, the Philippines, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor-Leste and the United Kingdom, have taken this pledge.

Canada has accorded top priority to boosting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

Canada has adopted a Feminist International Assistance Policy in pursuit of ending poverty and building a more peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous world. (Antaranews)