The London Summit on Family Planning, hosted by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in partnership with UNFPA, national governments, donors, civil society organizations, private sector representatives, the research and development community, and many others, was held today. Read more...
Updates
UK Family Planning Summit Concludes with $2.6 Billion Pledged
July 11th, 2012
New Lancet Series Demonstrates Impact of Family Planning
July 10th, 2012
A new series by the Lancet called Family Planning has been published and released on the eve of the UK Family Planning Summit.
The series reviews evidence of the impact of family planning on population health and the environment. “Family Planning” provides a look at a combination of articles that represent the latest thinking behind the UK Family Planning Summit, demonstrating the negative consequences of an unmet need for access to family planning. Read more...
Celebrate Solutions: Using Social Media to Bridge Gaps Between Religion and Rights
July 9th, 2012
By: Smita Gaith, Women Deliver
A popular campaign that was conceived, developed, and implemented in Mexico is working to bridge divides between religion and rights using social media. In particular, the campaign works to inform the public debate on the role of the Catholic Church in Mexican society, in regards to Catholic teachings and human rights of women and youth, Church hierarchy and Catholic traditions. Read more...
WHO Releases Guidance on Safe Abortion
June 21st, 2012
Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an update of the groundbreaking publication, Safe abortion: technical and policy guidance for health systems. Since the first publication of the guidance in 2003, updated data has emerged, leading to new methods, approaches and recommendations relating to safe abortion. Read more...
Women and Sustainability: Global Advocates Concerned by Language About Women and Reproductive Rights
June 20th, 2012
By: Women Deliver and Worldwatch Institute
Women Deliver is collaborating with the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project to highlight the important role of women, youth, and sexual and reproductive health and rights in sustainable development at the upcoming Rio+20 conference.
After days of negotiations, world leaders and the over 50,000 participants at Rio+20 will be presented with a draft outcome agreement, known as “The Future We Want.” The draft, which will be finalized on Friday, will be presented to heads of state at the end of the conference and will likely serve as the framework for future goals on economic, social, and environmental sustainability, including the Sustainable Development Goals, which could replace the Millennium Development Goals when they expire in 2015. Read more...
Women and Sustainability: Rio+20 Leaders and Activists Convene to Discuss the Future Women Want
June 20th, 2012
By: Danielle Nierenberg, Worldwatch Institute
Women Deliver is collaborating with the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project to highlight the important role of women, youth, and sexual and reproductive health and rights in sustainable development at the upcoming Rio+20 conference.
As the long awaited ‘Future We Want’ draft was being released at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, leaders, experts, and activists were already gathering to discuss the future that women want. Read more...
Why Aren’t Women’s Issues on the Agenda at Rio+20?
May 24th, 2012
By: Carmen Barroso, International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region; Originally posted on Grist
In just two months, world leaders will gather in Rio to hammer out a new set of agreements on what sustainable development means, and more importantly, how both rich and developing nations can get there before it’s too late. Day by day, the buzz is building around this historic Earth Summit. But there’s a problem: The big plans being hatched for the occasion — nicknamed Rio+20 — leave women out. Read more...
Norway Releases White Paper on Global Health
March 6th, 2012
Last month, the Norwegian government released the first ever white paper on global health. By mapping out health priorities within the context of development strategies, this paper serves as a blueprint to achieving optimal health outcomes for girls and women worldwide. Read more...
Michelle Bachelet Outlines Action Agenda to Advance Equality as UN Women Completes One Year
February 2nd, 2012
Statement Of Ms. Bachelet On UN Women One Year Anniversary: Calls for global mobilization and commitment to women’s rights as political and economic changes continue worldwide
New York, 2nd February — At a press conference in New York today, UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet called for galvanizing greater commitment and action for women and gender equality, as political and economic upheaval threaten progress on women’s rights (remarks enclosed here). She called the press conference to report on the first year of operations of UN Women. With austerity measures, budget cuts and political changes impacting women’s lives, worldwide, Ms. Bachelet outlined the action agenda of the organization in her first press conference of 2012. Read more...
Komen Foundation Cuts Funding to Planned Parenthood for Breast Cancer Screenings
February 1st, 2012
Yesterday, The Susan G. Komen Foundation announced that they will no longer provide grants to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings and breast health education programs. Grants from Komen were used to fund nearly 170,000 breast exams over the past five years. Read more...
CALL FOR WOMEN DELIVER 50 NOMINATIONS ENDS TODAY, FEBRUARY 10TH AT 6PM EST
January 25th, 2012
Every year, in conjunction with International Women’s Day, Women Deliver celebrates the progress made on behalf of girls and women worldwide. Our Women Deliver 100 list in 2011, which featured 100 of the most inspiring people who have delivered for girls and women, was covered by over 100 traditional and new media sources. This year, to continue the momentum, we are spotlighting the top 50 inspiring ideas and solutions that deliver for girls and women. We would love to hear what you think are the most innovative, impactful, and promising advancements in overcoming gender inequality. Read more...
Melinda Gates and Nick Kristof Answer Your Questions
January 10th, 2012
By: Melinda French Gates
Originally posted by: the Impatient Optimists
Melinda recently returned from a three-day trip to Bangladesh. She, along with Nick Kristof, agreed to answer readers’ questions about development issues focusing on that part of the world. Here is the first installment of the Q&A session reposted from Kristof's New York Times blog "On the Ground." Read more...
Mediaplanet to Release Call-To-Action Campaign to Invest in Women and Girls Globally
January 6th, 2012
NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Mediaplanet Publishing, the global leader in theme media, announced the release of the fourth installment of their "Investing in Women & Girls" publication series to hit newsstands on March 2-4, 2012. In alignment with International Women’s Day, the publication will raise awareness of the potential women and girls have as the world’s greatest untapped resource, highlighting the idea that investing in women and girls is crucial in achieving global economic progress, political stability and greater prosperity for women and men around the world. Read more...
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women Announces the 2011 Call for Proposals
December 8th, 2011
The United Nations Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women is accepting applications for its 16th grant cycle (2011) from government authorities, civil society organizations and networks — including non-governmental, women’s and community-based organizations and coalitions, and operational research institutions — and UN Country Teams (in partnership with governments and civil society organizations). Read more...
Corporate Buzz: Partnering for Healthy Girls, Women and Economies
December 8th, 2011
By: Madeline Taskier, Strategic Partnerships Associate at Women Deliver
In November 2010, GBCHealth (formerly the Global Business Coalition) launched a cross-sectoral initiative, Healthy Women, Healthy Economies (HHWE), to highlight the importance of investing in the health of girls and women in order to promote economic sustainability and growth. Each HHWE corporation works to strengthen their programs while also collaborating with other partners to learn ways in which they can invest better in girls and women through the development of best practices and strategic innovations.
The partnership between GBCHealth, the U.S. State Department Office of Global Women’s Issues, and companies including Coca Cola and Chevron (among many others) guides corporate investment to areas where companies can have the most impact: improving health systems, bolstering the health of the female workforce, and supporting girls’ education. Read more...
International Conference on Family Planning: Invest in Women – It Pays!
December 2nd, 2011
By: Jill Sheffield, President of Women Deliver
This week, I was privileged to join more than 2,200 participants at the International Conference on Family Planning in Dakar, Senegal. It was truly an amazing conference with three days of rich discussion and wonderful commitments, like those made by Dfid and the government of Senegal.
As the focus of this conference was on family planning, it was essential that participants not only discuss the social benefits of investing in family planning – which include a reduction of unintended pregnancies, a decrease in maternal deaths, and a decline of unsafe abortions – but also the incredible economic impact of investing in family planning. Read more...
Family Planning Conference Brings New Funding and Declarations of Support
November 30th, 2011
By: Joanna Hoffman, Special Projects Manager at Women Deliver
Yesterday, at the 2011 International Conference on Family Planning, Senegal’s Minister of Health announced his country’s pledge to double its investment in family planning, while the British Department for International Development (DFID) pledged an additional £35m in funding for family planning programs in developing countries. These two groundbreaking announcements have been pivotal moments at the global conference in Dakar, Senegal, where over 1,500 participants have gathered to share best practices. Read more...
16 Days Campaign Challenges MIlitarism And Violence Against Women
November 25th, 2011
New Brunswick, New Jersey -- On November 25, 2011, the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) will launch the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. Hundreds of events by organizations worldwide are planned to campaign against gender-based violence, which is experienced by up to 70% of women in their lifetime, according to the United Nations. It is estimated that worldwide, one in five women will experience rape or attempted rape. Women aged 15-44 are more at risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, car accidents, war, and malaria. Read more...
Corporate Buzz: Shaping our Future, Access to Reproductive Health Care in 2015
November 17th, 2011
By: Saundra Pelletier, CEO, WomenCare Global
Many smart people love the idea of alleviating poverty; however, because it is such an overwhelming proposition, they quickly shift their thinking to more attainable goals. What they do not realize is the answer is simple; the puzzle can be solved; and it as easy as investing in the world’s women. Women, after all, hold up half the sky. A woman multiplies the impact of an investment made in her health, education, and well being by extending benefits to the world around her, creating a better life for her family, and building a strong community. Yes, Women Deliver.
When I look ahead to the year 2015, I envision a world where there is a cultural consciousness and awareness of why preventing mothers from dying in childbirth is so vital. Women’s health, particularly women’s reproductive health, will no longer be pushed aside for more “pressing issues.” The lives of women and mothers will be at the core of conversations in both global health and global development circles. One of the most important benefits will be that 600,000 children will not grow up without the love and care of a mother. Read more...
Celebrate Solutions: Bringing Hope and Opportunity to Kenya’s Maasai Girls and Women
November 14th, 2011
By: Madeline Taskier, Strategic Partnerships Associate, Women Deliver
When Kakenya Ntaiya was 5 years old, she was engaged to be married. Growing up in Enoosaen, a rural Maasi village in southwestern Kenya, she helped her mother tend the farm and cattle, take care of her siblings, and gather water from the river. She rarely had the chance to attend school; only when her chores were completed.
In her village, like many others in Kenya, girls are expected to undergo female genital cutting (FGC), a coming-of-age ritual signifying womanhood at the age of puberty. After the ceremony has concluded, she is deemed ready for marriage. But Kakenya did not want to be married yet. She had dreams of going through primary and secondary school, going to college and becoming a teacher. Read more...