Rebalancing power for gender equality: what the Melbourne Declaration means for the End FGM movement

The Melbourne Declaration for Gender Equality comes at a critical moment for the global fight for women’s and girls’ rights. Developed through an extensive global consultation process involving more than 650 participants across over 30 sessions, it reflects a shared recognition that current systems have not worked for the majority of girls, women, and gender-diverse people. From Nairobi to Colombia, Fiji to Pakistan, and Beirut to Nepal, activists, organisations, and advocates came together to define what must change: the gender equality ecosystem* must be rebalanced.

The declaration calls for a world where States respect, protect, and fulfil human rights, and where feminist movements and civil society have the resources, space, and legitimacy to hold them accountable. It places public accountability, bodily autonomy, and freedom from violence at the centre of this vision. This has direct implications for efforts to end gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation. Ending FGM requires strong public systems, political will, and sustained support for grassroots and survivor led organisations.

At the same time, organisations across the gender equality field are facing shrinking civic space, limited funding, and increasing pushback against sexual and reproductive health and rights. The declaration directly addresses these challenges by calling for a shift in power, centring the voices and priorities of women, girls, and gender diverse people, and moving away from systems where accountability is driven primarily by donors rather than communities. It also calls for greater investment in local civil society and for systems that are accountable to the people they serve.

The Melbourne Declaration has been officially launched on the global stage at the Women Deliver 2026 Conference in Melbourne. This moment was an opportunity for governments, donors and civil society to engage with its commitments and translate them into concrete action.

For the End FGM European Network, this is a key moment to connect the fight to end FGM with broader efforts to advance gender equality and human rights. It is an opportunity to push for stronger accountability, better support for community based organisations, and the full implementation of policies protecting women and girls at risk of FGM.

Gender equality and ending FGM require more than commitments: they require systems that are grounded in human rights, accountable to communities, and capable of delivering for those most affected.

READ THE FULL DECLARATION

*gender equality ecosystem: it refers to the wider field of actors, institutions, movements, and policy spaces that shape gender equality outcomes, including feminist movements, women’s rights organisations, grassroots and locally led groups, governments, multilateral institutions, development agencies, philanthropy, international financial institutions, NGOs, researchers, advocates, service providers, policy actors, and allies. These actors do not all occupy the same position within systems of power, but together their decisions, resources, and influence shape what becomes possible.