Our History

Over the past decade, Women Deliver has been working at the forefront of the gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) movement. While we began as a 20th anniversary campaign for the neglected Safe Motherhood Initiative, with an exclusive focus on reproductive, maternal, and newborn health, we have evolved into an independent organization focusing on gender equality more broadly, while remaining strongly rooted in SRHR. A strong advocate, eminent convener, and effective communicator, Women Deliver is a global advocacy organization working in new ways across sectors and issue areas to advance solutions and action on gender equality and SRHR. We work within and outside the halls of power to make the economic and rights-based investment case to decision-makers and influencers globally.

Women Deliver’s direct advocacy has successfully influenced a range of policies and investments related to SRHR, gender equality, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and  Women Deliver’s compelling and positive communications continue to reach new audiences of advocates and changemakers. We collate the latest data and information and translate them into clear-sighted messages and tools, including reports, policy briefs, and infographics, to build the case for prioritizing gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women. When the data do not exist, we call for more attention to overlooked topics, encourage researchers to begin new studies, or partner with research entities to generate new evidence.

Beyond our own advocacy work, Women Deliver has bolstered the advocacy efforts of gender equality advocates around the globe. We have welcomed five classes of Young Leaders since 2010, working with 1,000 young advocates from 148 countries through our award-winning Young Leaders Program to strengthen their knowledge, skills, network, and resources to advocate for gender equality and SRHR. These young advocates have successfully influenced dozens of governments and organizational policies, agendas, and strategies at the global and national levels.

At the country level, Women Deliver helped establish Campaigns in Kenya and Senegal, where national coalitions have successfully encouraged decision-makers to influence policies and plans to advance gender equality.

Women Deliver has brought together hundreds of thousands of advocates to galvanize momentum and drive change for girls and women through our triannual Conferences and virtual convenings. Since 2007, Women Deliver has convened five Conferences, growing to the largest and most influential convening on gender equality in 2019 with more than 8,000 in-person participants and more than 125,000 virtual participants from 169 countries.

We have proven that direct advocacy, cross-sector partnerships, meaningful and authentic engagement of young people, strong evidence and communications, and strategic convenings have the power to make real and lasting change for girls and women, in all their intersecting identities.