On 17 September 2026, during the ICA Global Cooperative Conference and Assemblies in Panama, the ICA Gender Equality Committee (GEC) organised a participatory session entitled “What Do We Need to Move Forward Together?”. The session brought together representatives from different regions, organisations and structures of the international cooperative movement to identify the barriers to mainstreaming gender equality within the ICA and explore how existing knowledge and good practices across its network can help drive progress.
The discussion highlighted four key areas for action:
Strengthening institutional capacities and resources. Participants emphasised the need for greater training and awareness-raising to identify gender biases and invisible barriers, as well as the integration of a gender perspective across the ICA's policies and activities. They also highlighted the importance of gender-disaggregated data, adequate human and financial resources, and the identification of successful practices already in place across the network.
Promoting more inclusive governance. Discussions addressed barriers to women's participation in decision-making, including male-dominated leadership spaces, the length of mandates, unequal regional and gender representation, and the financial costs that can limit participation. Strengthening coordination and exchange between the ICA's different structures and regions was also identified as an important step towards more inclusive governance.
Turning commitments into concrete action. Participants underlined the role of the GEC in promoting gender equality policies, training and capacity-building initiatives, leadership opportunities for women and organisational culture change. The discussion stressed the importance of moving beyond general commitments towards practical measures that embed gender equality across the ICA's work.
Sharing knowledge and good practices across the network. The session also highlighted the wealth of experience within ICA member organisations and structures, including initiatives on women's leadership, training, data collection, women's networks, economic autonomy, financial inclusion and policies supporting women's participation. Documenting and sharing these experiences would help strengthen existing capacities and encourage their adaptation to different contexts.
Building on these contributions, four complementary areas were identified to guide the Committee's future work: improving knowledge and data on gender equality within the ICA; promoting more inclusive governance and leadership; advancing concrete policies, training and resources; and facilitating the exchange of experiences and good practices across the network.
The discussions reaffirmed that gender equality cannot depend solely on the work of a dedicated committee. It requires the active involvement of all ICA structures and a sustained commitment to integrating a gender perspective into the organisation's overall activities and decision-making processes.
The outcomes of the session provide a collective starting point for the GEC's future work, helping connect the knowledge and experience already present across the cooperative movement with concrete institutional changes to advance gender equality.
This activity was organized under the ICA-EU Partnership (2024-2028), also known as #coops4dev🌍, a five-year international cooperative development programme that aims to strengthen the ICA network and position cooperatives as key development actors within the European Union Development Agenda.
