Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP)
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians
Participants at the CWP BIMR Conference in 2018
CWP is the network of women members of CPA parliaments. It aims to:
- Build the capacity of women elected to parliament to be more effective in their roles
- Improve the awareness and ability of parliamentarians, male and female, to include a gender perspective in all aspects of their role, including legislation, oversight and representation
- Help parliaments to become gender-sensitive institutions
CWP is governed by a Steering Committee made up of representatives from each CPA region. The International Steering Committee is chaired by Hon. Catherine Fife, MPP, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada.
CWP works on a regional basis, with each of the nine regions of the CPA coordinating programmes, conferences and meetings among its legislatures. CPA UK coordinates the British Islands and Mediterranean Region (BIMR).
CWP BIMR
CWP BIMR's focus is on working with women across the region to increase global representation of women in parliaments and politics and connecting women through the Commonwealth network.
CWP BIMR is represented on the international CWP Steering Committee by Hon. Samantha Sacramento MP, Member of Parliament from Gibraltar.
The objectives of CWP BIMR are to:
- Build the capacity of women elected to parliament to be more effective in their roles
- Improve the awareness and ability of all parliamentarians, male and female, and encouraging them to include a gender perspective in all aspects of their role - legislation, oversight and representation
- Help parliaments to become gender-sensitive institutions
- Encourage more women into politics and connect with the work of the Commonwealth
- Focus on themes of communication, advocacy and engagement
- Link with other groups and associations such as UN Women, UNDP and CSW
- Expand the work and understanding of CWP
CWP BIMR's annual conference for 2026 was hosted by CPA Northern Ireland from 8-10 February 2025. The theme of the conference was Power and Peace: Protecting Our Mental Health in Public Life.
Our Recent Activities
11th BIMR CWP Regional Conference
The Scottish Parliament hosted the 10th CWP BIMR Conference welcoming more than 25 parliamentarians from 10 jurisdictions in the CPA British Islands and Mediterranean Region (BIMR). The theme for the two-day programme was 'A parliament for all: the importance of women in politics'.
The conference set out to recognise the existing barriers for women parliamentarians, as well as the inclusive practices available to overcome them.
