Join WRA at WHA70
By Betsy McCallon, CEO White Ribbon Alliance
With the 70th World Health Assembly upon us, White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) is looking forward to working with colleagues and partners from around the world to further our advocacy to drive global improvements in women’s and children’s health.
While the election of a new Director-General will certainly be dominating the conversation this year, White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) knows that engagement from citizens at the community level is just as important as those from global leaders. We are honored to be joined by colleagues from WRA National Alliances in Nepal and Nigeria. This year we are placing a focus on adolescents and youth as agents of change and are particularly thrilled to introduce you to two impressive young activists who are leading the way in their communities.
Maryam Ahmad is a 17-year-old first year law student in Nigeria. She started holding what she calls Safe Space discussions, gathering about 50 girls made up of friends or friends of friends, to talk about issues that were important to them and figure out solutions. That ultimately led her to WRA Nigeria, where she got involved in the Citizen Hearing Movement. She’s now expanding her work with a new initiative with them called Grassroots Girls to reach more marginalized communities.
Jemie Shreshta is a 20-year-old college student in Nepal studying social work. She has been involved with the Safe Motherhood Network Federation (WRA Nepal) since she was 16. Her work as a volunteer introduced her to girls who were married young and then go on to become pregnant and give birth before their bodies were physically ready, leading to horrible complications such as collapsed uteruses. She also met girls and women who were banished from their communities during menstruation, forced to stay in sheds with cows and other farm animals, sometimes raped or falling ill from the unsanitary conditions.
Their experiences have made Jemie and Maryam passionate about the need to prioritize education for girls and women, and ensure that all women and girls understand their right to health information and services. They know that when equipped with information and confidence, girls and women will make the right health choices for themselves and their families, and ultimately demand and receive the quality care that they deserve.
Jemie and Maryam will be sharing their experiences and perspectives with Ministers of Health and global health leaders, along with other members of the WRA team. Some of the key events and issues for our team during WHA are:
• The Launch of the report and recommendations of the Working Group for the Health and Human Rights of Women, Children and Adolescents on Monday, May 22nd, where we’ll call on governments to invest in health rights education and establish a mechanism to respond to citizens’ feedback.
• Quality, Equity and Dignity (QED) is a current focus for WRA and is one of the six thematic areas for Every Woman Every Child (EWEC) and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (PMNCH). QED will be featured at the Global Financing Facility/Global Strategy Progress Report side event on Tuesday, May 23rd and an event with the World Health Organization on Wednesday, May 24th.
• The 3rd Annual Global Citizens’ Dialogue: Citizen-led accountability in implementing Agenda 2030 — Adolescents as agents of change will be held on Wednesday, May 24th and is an event organized by the Citizen-led Accountability Coalition, which includes White Ribbon Alliance, Save the Children, World Vision International and the International Planned Parenthood Federation. It is being sponsored by the countries of Canada, Afghanistan, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, and Uruguay, as well as UNAIDS, UNFPA, and PMNCH. The Dialogue will be between adolescents and youths from around the world, health ministers and key stakeholders on best practices for health, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
As events unfold we’ll make sure to keep you updated on social media, with more in-depth outcomes to follow. Be a part of the WRA team at WHA70! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where you can see what’s happening in Geneva, help amplify our message, and share your own.
Best,
Betsy McCallon
Donate to White Ribbon Alliance and help protect and promote women’s health around the world. White Ribbon Alliance unites citizens to demand the right to a safe birth for every woman, everywhere. We harness the power of local women and men to achieve lasting change. Our approach is working. Subscribe to WRA Voices and follow WRA on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about the work White Ribbon Alliance does around the world.
