By Rosemary Ardayfio | Daily Graphic | 21 June 2017
Canada has announced that it will host the next global Women Deliver Conference to be held from June 3 to 6, 2019.
The conference which will bring over 6,000 world leaders, influencers, advocates, academics, activists, and journalists from more than 150 countries to Vancouver, British Colombia, is the world's largest gathering on the health, rights, and wellbeing of women and girls.
An additional 100,000 participants are anticipated to be joining virtually.
Announcement
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, together with Women Deliver's President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Katja Iversen, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Status of Women Maryam Monsef, and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Prime Minister Trudeau symbolically made the announcement in front of the 'Women are Persons!' monument on the grounds of Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada.
"Prioritizing the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women is not optional, but in fact, foundational to drive change and progress for all, and this is reflected in our new feminist foreign policy," said Prime Minister Trudeau. "Canada is proud to host the next Women Deliver Conference as a global convener to bring us all further in advancing human rights for women."
Katja Iversen said the Women Deliver 2019 Conference will present new knowledge, promote solutions, and serve as a fueling station for accelerating action, including policy changes and investments, for the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women and achieving a more equal world.
"At Women Deliver we believe that evidence, solutions, and action speak the loudest. They are what give hope and spur action to do better for girls and women," said Katja Iversen. "Canada is showing strong political leadership for women's health and rights, and we at Women Deliver are thrilled to have our fifth global convening in Canada, a country that is steadfastly dedicated to promoting gender equality at every turn."
Empowerment of girls and women
This conference will come at a time when support for the empowerment of girls and women is more critical than ever in order to maintain and increase the gains in health, education, and economic participation of women, as well as close the existing gaps in reproductive rights and health care services that advances gender equality for women and girls in the developing world.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Katja Iversen encourage all to use this unique opportunity and make June 2019 'Women Deliver Month' throughout Canada across all sectors - including arts, sports, and business; in every province and city - and show the world that women's health and rights are core Canadian values.
The Women Deliver 2019 Conference will engage a broad spectrum of voices, including indigenous populations, youth, and those impacted by conflict.
It will continue the momentum generated at Women Deliver 2016, held in Copenhagen, Denmark. That conference - one of the first major global conferences following the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - was attended by nearly 6,000 people from 169 countries. The conference presented more than 100 solutions to improve the lives of girls and women, and spurred action across the globe.
