Last week, Jill Sheffield, president of Women Deliver, joined a group of young women from around the world in Toronto, Canada at the first-ever G(irls)20 Summit meeting in advance of the G-20 Economic Summit taking place later this month. They met to discuss challenges facing girls and women across the globe.
The U.N. estimates that adolescent girls, that is, young women between the ages of 10 and 24-account for one-eighth of the world's population. It is also true that 14 million girls age 15 to 19 give birth each year, and that pregnancy is the leading cause of death in that age group. Many of these girls not only work outside the home, but are the primary source of support for their families. Yet in the developing world, many of them don't enjoy the most basic human rights.
The Girls 20 Summit, invited 20 young women from each of the G-20 member countries to discuss the most pressing challenges facing women today. The summit focused on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals of ending poverty, improving access to health care, and providing universal primary school education. The girls attended panel discussions related to each of these goals, and at the end of the summit, they made concrete recommendations on ways in which the Millennium goals can be better achieved. The recommendations address:
- On the subject of Education: Access; Educators; Curriculum and Learning Tools; Community Benefits; Safety
- On the subject of Maternal and Child Health: Health and Sexual Health Education; Unplanned Pregnancy; Health Systems
- On the subject of Economic Opportunity: Societal and Self Value; Business Development; Employability
This unique summit was organized by a number of international charities, including the Toronto-based Belinda Stronach Foundation, Oxfam, Save the Children, and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Ultimately, the goal of the summit was to bring the economic power of girls and women to the attention of G-20 leaders and help ensure that women's issues are brought to the forefront of all future agendas.
Watch Jill Sheffield's speech:
Entry Comments
We implore the World Leaders to take it with every seriousness the importance of access and empowerment to every girl child irepective of colour and race,that is one way that can guaranty girl child safty.