Over 5,500 people across the globe meet in Copenhagen, Denmark for a four-day convention, the fourth global Women Deliver Conference aimed at sharing experiences, challenges, lessons and to advocate for improved access to health, education, participation and investment for girls and women.
Young people were welcomed with two day Youth Pre-Conference; which brought together over 200 young people around the world under the Women Deliver Young Leaders Program.
“ If we believe that child marriage has no place in our future, we must be daring enough to ask that we have resources,” said Yemurai Nyoni, Women Deliver Board Member, and 2013 Women Deliver Young Leader during the opening remarks.
At the youth pre-conference, the Women Deliver Young Leaders use this opportunity introduces themselves and learns more about each other. Young people are engaged in interactive and participatory sessions that enable them to understand their values as they pertain to various aspects of girls, women, and young people’s health, rights, and wellbeing.
Through the Women Deliver Youth Working Groups, young people take part in small group discussions groups and workshops to build and strengthen skills in Youth Leadership, Coalition Building, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Accountability, Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Youth-Friendly Services.
The four-day convention, the fourth Women Deliver Conference was officially opened on Tuesday by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Patron of the Women Deliver 2016 Conference.
“ When we invest in girls and women, society as a whole benefits because girls and women as the world’s greatest untapped resource” she said “ Everybody’s has a role to play in protecting girls such that they can reach full potential,” said Dr Babatunde; UNFPA Executive Director during the opening ceremony. He described the issue of child marriage as one of bad traditional practice that still exists in his country especially among the senators who marry off 12-year-old girls.
“We don’t know enough about the barriers holding women and girls back neither do we have sufficient information to track progress against the promises made to women and girls hence making a commitment to invest in better data, policies and accountability,” Melinda Gates said during her keynote speech at the conference.
“My Right to Contraception” Flash MOB; ends the Women Deliver Conference 2016
Just minutes before the closing ceremony at Women Deliver Conference 2016, Public Health Ambassadors Uganda (PHAU) lead by IHSU Alumni Patrick Segawa with support from Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition staged a creative FLashMOB with nearly 50 young people across the globe.
The FLashMOB was aimed at engaging young people into a discussion on issues related to reproductive health supplies as well as advocate for an increase in access to contraception use.
Young people danced to energetic and thrilling dance moves while wearing yellow t-shirts dubbed “Which part of My Right to Contraception do you understand”. The FlashMoB was led by PHAU Team Leader – Segawa Patrick; an SRH Avenger and Women Deliver Young Leader.
