Byanyima Selected To G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council

Oxfam International Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, is among the ten women activists selected to the gender and equality advisory council to the Canadian presidency of the G7 member countries.

The G7 or Group of Seven, is a group consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

These countries, with the seven largest advanced economies in the world, represent more than 62% of the global net wealth estimated at $280 trillion.

Canada assumed the G7 presidency on January 1st, and will host the annual G7 Summit from June 8-9, 2018 in Charlevoix, Quebec.

The council is co-chaired by Melinda Gates of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which works to help people around the world lead healthy, productive lives.

Byanyima and her colleagues are expected to support leaders and ministers in ensuring that gender equality and gender-based analysis are integrated across all themes, activities and outcomes of Canada's G7 Presidency.

A statement from the Canadian Presidency says members of the Council have been selected on the basis of their work and achievements, commitment to advancing gender equality and capacity to influence public discourse and contribute ideas that reach beyond traditional government-to-government relations.

In a tweet responding to her appointment, Byanyima said she is honoured to serve on the Advisory Council to Canada's G7 Presidency.  She said her focus will be pursuing growth which benefits women and men equally and ending poverty in the world.

Byanyima has headed Oxfam International since 2013 and oversees the organisation's work on humanitarian, equality, and justice-based campaigns. She previously served at the African Union Commission and as Director of Gender and Development at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The news comes to Baynyima as Uganda joined the rest of the world to mark International Women's day.

Byanyima, whose organisation has of recent been in the limelight over alleged sex scandals, promises to fight the vice at all Oxfam country chapters.