Ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Women’s Forum (CWF), Antigua and Barbuda-based non-profit organisation, Integrated Health Outreach (IHO), has officially announced the launch of “One Last Thread”, an open call for creative submissions, inviting women across all 56 Commonwealth nations, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to submit original poetry, short prose, and spoken word recordings reflecting their lived realities in relation to the Forum’s official theme: Advancing Gender Equality: Investment in a Prosperous and Resilient Commonwealth. This creative advocacy campaign offers an accessible platform for women worldwide to directly influence the CWF’s social conscience and the wider week of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) happening in Antigua in November.
IHO Executive Director, Dr Nicola Bird, states: “Prosperity and resilience cannot be measured only by data points and financial metrics. Vibrant grassroots participation is indispensable. And listening to the perspectives of women and girls is what should inform policymakers whether their actions are having an impact or not, and what needs to change.” The Executive Director added, “Through One Last Thread we are providing a global megaphone for the authentic and unedited realities of women across the Commonwealth as one more way of trying to ensure that all of us, from government, to civil society, to the business sector, to international organisations, remember that real people are counting on us to use platforms like CHOGM to achieve something tangible and meaningful, and not just empty talk.”
Submission Requirements
IHO accepts submissions in three (3) formats, as noted below. Submissions must be presented in English and adhere to the following limits:
Poetry: Up to 30 lines
Short Prose: Up to 400 words
Spoken Word: Up to 2 minutes (video or audio; video is encouraged)
Rather than remaining solely a social media campaign, IHO will showcase selected submissions on its social media, website, and at associated events during CHOGM week as delegates pour into Antigua for the 28th CHOGM. Submissions must be completed and emailed to [email protected] before the deadline on October 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM Atlantic Standard Time (AST). Participants should read the full guidelines available online at IHO’s website at this link: www.ihoab.com/chogm-2026.
Integrated Health Outreach (IHO) is an Antigua and Barbuda-based non-profit organisation dedicated to gender, climate, and health justice, working to empower vulnerable populations, promote human rights, and ensure that the voices of grassroots civil society are integrated into national and international policy frameworks. The Equality Fund and Global Affairs Canada proudly support IHO. The Commonwealth Women’s Forum (CWF) is one of several official stakeholder gatherings held in Antigua alongside the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Within the Commonwealth, advancing women’s rights is not merely a social goal but a foundational pillar for sustainable development and democratic resilience. With women and girls making up more than half of the Commonwealth’s 2.7 billion citizens, addressing pervasive challenges such as gender-based violence, economic marginalisation, and systemic inequality requires robust, targeted cooperation between government and civil society.
