Lord Loomba welcomed the opportunity to celebrate "all that is good about the Commonwealth" ahead of the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April. Lord Loomba spoke of the efficiency with which the Commonwealth works and how it is "forward-thinking in this increasingly digitised and mobilised world, where networks and people connected together are increasingly working towards the common good of all humanity."
Focusing on the issue of women and girls rights and gender equality Lord Loomba stressed, “The Commonwealth, with its great wealth of people, institutions, and diplomatic ties, is well placed to be a leader in helping others as well as itself," as he contemplated how the Commonwealth might make more use of "the resources at our disposal to bring together more stakeholders to help more women and girls gain access to the tools they need to empower them and improve their lives and the lives of their dependants."
"One of the reasons why this is so important," emphasised Lord Loomba, "is that both our country and the Commonwealth are committed to supporting the SDGs and pursuing an agenda of 50:50 equality by 2030." "Therefore," he argued, "bringing together pooled resources of knowledge and skills will not only help bring the goals closer to realisation but also benefit many individuals along the way"; adding poignantly, "[t]his is particularly important for gender equality, which is a main part of the goals."
Focusing on South Asia as a case in point, Lord Loomba said, "South Asia is one of the areas of the Commonwealth that would particularly benefit from a concerted effort to address many of the issues that women and girls face." Citing UNICEF reporting, he informed the House "that in the region there is “a lack of education opportunity for millions of girls, social customs that accept extreme gender bias, and practices such as early marriage”.
