Focus on gender inequity as Commonwealth summit begins in Samoa

By Kirsty Needham

(Reuters) - A meeting of Commonwealth countries began in Samoa on Monday with a focus on the income inequity, violence and structural discrimination faced by women, described by Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland as a "plague in our world".

Leaders and officials from 56 countries with roots in Britain's empire will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the small Pacific Islands nation.

At a forum on Monday, women politicians said gender inequality remains widespread among the group, which spans top economies such as Britain, Canada and Australia, the world's most populous nation India, and 14 "least developed" states in Africa and the Pacific.

Scotland, who took office in 2016 as the first woman to hold the post, urged women to work together more, and said her last few years in the role had not been easy.

"Significant hurdles still exist, despite the numerable successes that we have had, and in too many of our societies gender-based violence persists and in some cases it continues to rise," she said.

"Income inequity, structural discrimination and restriction of women from leadership opportunities are still a plague in our world," she added.

Born in Dominica, Scotland was the first woman attorney general in Britain.

"Many of us thought that we had delivered the change - never take your foot off the pedal... never take for granted these advances that have been made, because they can very quickly be taken away from you," she said.

Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa is the first woman to lead a Pacific Island member country of the Commonwealth.

Over half of the Commonwealth's members are small states, many of them island nations facing the threat of rising sea levels caused by climate change. The leaders are expected to make a declaration on protecting the ocean, with climate change a key topic for discussion.

The Commonwealth's head, Britain's King Charles, will arrive mid-week.

In a speech in Australia on Monday, he said the Commonwealth group "has the diversity to understand the world's problems and the sheer brain power and resolve to formulate practical solutions".

"I see a family of some 2.5 billion people striving for peace, justice and mutual respect.

"The Commonwealth spans six continents and as a group has the size and influence to play a significant role on the global stage, while being small enough to nurture personal relationships," he said.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney)