Women as well as men from around the Commonwealth will come together in November to focus on solutions to the challenges women face in various countries.

They will be brought together through the first ever Commonwealth Women’s Forum to be held ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Malta between November 27 and 29.

Lawyer Claire Cassar, who will be chairing the forum, said it would provide a platform to discuss challenges and agree on actions and recommendations to pass on to leaders.

The themes discussed this year – ‘Women ahead. Be all that you can be’ – will include placing women and social and economic issues on the agenda, looking into success stories from around the globe and tackling poverty and inequality. It will also provide a networking platform.

“Women’s economic empowerment is a key factor to equality as this can spread economic growth and advance human rights and equality,” Dr Cassar said, during the launch of the forum at Intercontinental Hotel.

Phyllis Muscat, head of the Chogm Malta 2015 Taskforce, said the forum will run concurrently with three fora on people, youth and business that will take place between November 22 and 24.

The themes will include social and economic issues, success stories from around the globe and tackling poverty and inequality

The taskforce initiative is being organised by the government, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Gender Section.

Social Dialogue Minister Helena Dalli said it was important to acknowledge the reality that many Commonwealth countries were still far from achieving gender equality.

She spoke about the importance of women taking an active part in decision-making roles.

President Marie-Louse Coleiro Preca welcomed the commitment shown towards the one billion women living within the Commonwealth.

“I would like to encourage all women, not only as Head of State but also as a woman, to act together to bring about change,” she said.