HRH Crown Princess Mary and Prime Minister of Denmark HE Lars Løkke Rasmussen Urge Action at Largest Gathering of Girls’ and Women’s Advocates in a Decade.

Copenhagen, Denmark (16 May 2016) – Today, heads of state and global leaders joined more than
5,000 advocates, experts and young people from 168 countries for the fourth Women Deliver
Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. It will be the largest gathering on the health, rights and wellbeing
of girls and women in over a decade.

“We all share a common conviction – that girls and women are the key to building healthy, prosperous
and sustainable societies and communities,” said Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark,
Patron of the Women Deliver 2016 Conference, at the opening ceremony. “And the evidence is sound –
when we invest in girls and women, society as a whole benefits.”

Over the span of the conference, more than 200 sessions and side events will focus on solutions and
how investments in health, rights, gender equality, education and economic empowerment have broad
benefits across the development spectrum. The Women Deliver 2016 Conference is the first major
gathering of girls’ and women’s health and rights advocates since the adoption of the Sustainable
Development Goals last year, bringing together leaders from UN agencies, civil society, the private
sector, academia and more.

“This week, more than 5,500 world influencers from more than 165 countries are gathered here in
Copenhagen to make change [and] ensure that the world delivers for women and for girls,” said His
Excellency Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark, at the opening ceremony. “That is a joint
responsibility. The fight for equal gender opportunities is not just a women’s fight [or] a fight for
women. It is a fight for all of us – women and men. It is a fight for a better and more prosperous world.”
To accelerate progress for girls and women, Women Deliver launched a new advocacy platform during
the Conference’s opening session that promotes 12 critical investments in girls and women: Deliver for
Good. This new platform brings together diverse organizations to show how a simple focus on
investments in girls and women can be transformative for global development.

“The Deliver for Good campaign will drive action toward what we know is true: investing in girls and
women unlocks untapped potential, and creates a ripple effect that benefits families, communities and
entire nations,” said Katja Iversen, CEO of Women Deliver. “It’s 2016: now is the time to turn the
conversation from ‘if and why’ to ‘how and now.’”

The campaign highlights evidence showing that when leaders make political, financial and programmatic
investments in the health, rights and wellbeing of girls and women, there are big returns for countries
striving to build more equitable, healthy, peaceful and productive societies.

“The evidence is clear. Girls and women have less access to resources and opportunities and are
subjected to exploitation, violence and abuse. And because these global challenges are complex,
demanding and interwoven – the solutions have to be connected as well,” said Manisha Bharti, Chief
Strategy Officer of FHI 360. “We are proud to support Women Deliver’s new Deliver for Good campaign,
and to contribute to the body of evidence of what works and what doesn’t. It's time we meaningfully
engage girls and women as equal partners at all levels and stages of development to help ensure they
have the decision-making power necessary to shape their societies and their own lives.”

Over the next three days, attendees will discuss the latest trends, innovations and research to drive
solutions for girls and women around the world. Each day of the conference will focus on ways to
accelerate progress including:

Tuesday, 17 May

 A Girls’ and Women’s Lens on the SDGs: Heads of UN agencies and ministers of health, gender and
education from around the world will discuss the important links between girls and women and the
new global development agenda.

 How Are We Doing? Data Collection, Evaluation and Best Practices: Directors of implementing
agencies and NGOs will discuss the need for good data – from information to evaluation – and share
success stories from the field.

 Learning & Working Across Generations: A lively, no-holds-barred discussion about the challenges
and opportunities, the ups and downs of working across generations.

Wednesday, 18 May

 Investing in Girls and Women: Everybody Wins: Investments in women have major pay-offs. This
panel will present examples of notable successes as well outline what is needed to make progress.
 Making the SDGs Work for Girls and Women: Regional Perspectives: This session will present
regional views on SDGs, as well as specific regional challenges and solutions, from Latin America,
Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

 Powerful Women: This session focuses on powerful women in different areas of work and their
personal and professional challenges – what would make them feel their power was well used? Do
they think of themselves as powerful? Do they think they use and see power differently than men?

Thursday, 19 May

 Look to the Future, Part 1: Transformation, Innovation and Partnership: This plenary will focus on
the need to change as the world changes and present innovative strategies for social transformation
through communications, as well as government, private and NGO partnerships.

 Look to the Future, Part 2: The State of Philanthropy: This session will feature an in-depth
discussion about the role philanthropy can play in ensuring that resources are available to
implement the SDGs in ways that benefit girls and women.

 Men with Power: Delivering for Girls and Women: On this panel, men who have committed
themselves to women’s empowerment, health and wellbeing will discuss how they see men’s role in
driving progress for women.

 Be the Change You Want to See: Global leaders and celebrities advocates have been invited to
speak on what they commit to change and how they model that change in their own lives.

###

About Women Deliver: Women Deliver believes that when the world invests in girls and women,
everybody wins. As a leading global advocate for girls’ and women’s health, rights and wellbeing,
Women Deliver brings together diverse voices and interests to drive progress, particularly in maternal,
sexual and reproductive health and rights. It builds capacity, shares solutions and forges partnerships,
together creating coalitions, communication and action that spark political commitment and investment
in girls and women.