City of Westminster (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Queen Camilla hosts a reception at Buckingham Palace for the anniversary of Women of the World Foundation, with Victoria Beckham and Ruth Jones in attendance.
During the speech, the Queen issued a warning about the “daunting task” of attaining global gender equality in the coming years.
Along with schoolgirls and other individuals who have helped advance women and girls, prominent women were invited to the event, including former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, actress Dame Harriet Walter, chef Andi Oliver, and former professional football player Jill Scott.
Camilla highlighted important obstacles that still stand in the path of global gender equality in a speech.
She said:
“As we look forward to the next 15 years, the task of forging a gender-equal world is a daunting one.
At the current rate, globally, it will take an estimated 286 years to remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to hold half the positions of leadership in the workplace and 47 years to be represented equally in national parliaments.
But by following in the footsteps of these amazing women and girls who will not take ‘no’ for an answer, we members of the Wow family fervently hope that this will be achieved in a much shorter time.
Seeing you all here, I am filled with confidence that, together, we can make sure this happens.”
The Women of the World Foundation is a nonprofit organization that has expanded into a global network of events that promote gender equality, honor women’s and girls’ accomplishments, and look at the barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential.
Since its founding in 2010, the Queen has backed the Wow Foundation, and in 2015, she was elected president of the organization.
She added in her speech that she traveled to Jordan, Ghana, the Gambia, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Rwanda to promote the organization.
She said:
“Without fail, wherever Wow gathers, I have met the most extraordinary and impressive women who have, quite simply, refused to take ‘no’ for an answer.
Some of them have a significant public profile.
Others can’t be named because the work that they do would put their lives, or the lives of those whom they support, in danger. All of them have faced obstacles that could easily have intimidated them into a silent resignation to the status quo.”
During her address, Camilla brought up model and television celebrity Penny Lancaster, who works as a volunteer police special constable.
Ms Lancaster, who attended the reception at Buckingham Palace, said after the speech:
“The essence of it all is that collaboration, drawing from all corners of the earth, not just gathering women together from the UK, but globally.
It’s the whole message – it’s not just for one it’s for all.”
The event was also attended by broadcaster and comedian Sandi Toksvig, who told Camilla as they greeted in the palace’s magnificent White Drawing Room: “I was just thinking we need a bit more gold in this room.”
Camilla laughed and replied: “We do.”
In addition, the Queen accepted flowers from students at London‘s Mulberry School for children at the occasion. She thanked the children and described the gesture as “sweet.”
What were the key messages by the Queen?
The Queen recognized that although there has been progress, there are still major obstacles in the way of achieving gender equality. She saw the path to equality as difficult, emphasizing the necessity of sustained work and dedication.
She called for cooperation among all facets of society in order to address structural injustices and advance women’s rights, stressing that achieving true equality necessitates unwavering will and teamwork.
The Queen praised the progress made
by women and girls over the years, but she emphasized that these successes shouldn’t take precedence over the continued hardships that many still encounter, such as economic inequality, violence, and prejudice.
Her comments were part of a larger campaign to support groups that advocate for women’s rights and empowerment, including her position as President of WOW (Women of the World), which just marked its 15th anniversary.