Global Changemakers!

Global Changemakers!
Setting the scene, highlighting the facts!

Invest in Women - It pays!

domingo, 13 de junho de 2010 07:04 Postado por Italo Ribeiro ;)

"We all share the same world, however we make it unequal for those we do not respect. We need a world that delivers. Hmn…No! We need people who deliver for people. "

Invest in Women – It Pays!


Women, the social group that most commonly is conceived as synonym of innocence, fragility and weakness around the world have now the chance to have a deep breath and affirm: We are the heart of global economy and development.

Being at Women Deliver Conference has been fantastic. It is just the confirmation that, yes, we can be different somehow but in the end we all share the same concerns. How can I be so sure of that? Because we are more than 3000 people here, from the simplest community activist to the greatest high-level global leader, and we all speak the same language: The betterment of women’s lives worldwide.

The Women Deliver Conference 2010 is the continuation of the global conference held in London, in 2007. The Women Deliver Organization, one of the most famous organizations in the world in terms of health advocacy, has given the opportunity to 3000 people from all over to discuss upon the need for investments in women rights. And as a bridge to open the vast possibilities for that, the theme of the conference is: Delivering Solutions for Girls and Women. Women’s rights have outstanding approaches on Millennium Development Goals #3, #4 and #5: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women, Reduce Child Mortality and Improve Maternal health, respectively. These are the most underfunded issues amongst all the other goals. But curiously it is extremely remarkable that without prioritizing these goals, it will not be possible to achieve the others.

•#1: We cannot eradicate poverty without empowering women and making them economically productive so that they can improve their family lives and thrive;

•#2: If families in underprivileged areas do not understand that women have key roles in society, it will get harder to increase the number of women who are sent to schools. Thus, the efforts made to achieve universal access to education will be in vain;

•#6: If women do not have access to great family planning programs, comprehensive educational information on sexual reproductive health and both antenatal and post-natal care, it will be impossible to combat AIDS because the high rates of infections will get maintainable and people will keep dying guiltless.

•#7: When a woman is economically productive and participative and in society, it is not only her family what will flourish, but her community will be stabilized and the resources will be balanced in accordance with the needs people may demand.

•#8: Women can be considered half of every country’s engine for growth and development.


These reasons boost us to speak up, share experiences and learn how to bring about immediate impacts on the global health systems. Obviously, wherever there is an opportunity to show young people’s energy and make the global leaders listen to their ideas, there is a Global Changemaker. And now we are four at the Women Deliver Conference.

Mohammed (Gambia), Sarah (Malawi), Maihan (Afghanistan) and Italo (Brazil) are carrying the Global Changemakers flag, mentored by our dear Francesca Martonffy. Mohammed and I applied for a scholarship to attend the event. The selection was very arduous and competitive. In the end, we won more than 6000 applicants and were awarded with the privilege of representing our youths internationally again. The girls were invited by the British Council and then we all joined the same activities.

Well, the second day of the Conference is about to begin and I have got to leave now for the Convention Centre. We will keep you updated on everything that is happening here.

I thank all of you guys for being so kind with the wishes and greetings on facebook and e-mails. We are striving hard to represent you excellently and you can expect a lot from us.



Big Hugs,

Ítalo Ribeiro, Global Changemaker

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