French G7 Presidency: defending and promoting gender equality in a difficult context
On January 1, 2026, France officially took on the presidency of the G7, following Canada, with the main ambition of addressing “global imbalances”. This presidency is taking place in an international context marked by a questioning of multilateralism and international solidarity, including within the G7 by the U.S. administration, and by a historic decline in global official development assistance funding. France’s historical allies are speaking up less about gender equality, and some G7 member states, such as the United States or Italy, are openly positioning themselves as opponents on girls, adolescents girls, women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights in all their diversity.
The organizations that make up the Women 7 call on G7 member states, allied and progressive on gender equality, to not backtrack on these issues in the face of pressure within the G7, and to find ways to increase collaboration with G7 members and outreach states that are willing to act in favor of gender equality. More specifically, the W7 has three objectives:
- Promote gender equality as a French political priority, within the G7 and in related spaces;
- Achieve recognition of the fundamental role of feminist organizations and the maintenance and/or renewal of their financial support;
- Make the French G7 Presidency a moment of renewed mobilization around human rights and multilateralism.
This W7 positioning note aims to detail the collective’s positions and recommendations regarding gender equality.
Download Women 7 2026 Position paper