18-20 October 2007

The Partnership at the Women Deliver Conference

Highlights

Ann Starrs, Co-Chair, The Partnership

“We are making a promise to the women of the world,” said Ann Starrs, executive vice president of Family Care International and Co-chair of The Partnership at the closing session of Women Deliver. "We will not allow this injustice and waste to continue. We will deliver.” More than 1,800 participants from 109 countries spent three days mobilizing political will and investment to reduce pregnancy-related deaths and disabilities worldwide. Strong new pledges of commitment to invest in women’s health came from donors, government officials, corporations, foundations and non-governmental organizations.

Opening Plenary of Women Deliver

High-level remarks were given at the opening by UK Secretary of State, Douglas Alexander, Co-chairs Asha-Rose Migiro, UN Deputy Secretary-General and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and Jill Sheffield, Family Care International. Closing remarks by Dr Francisco Songage, Director of the Partnership.

Decision-makers deliver
Women deliver audience

Decision-makers at the conference also promised to deliver: the 70 cabinet ministers and parliamentarians present signed a final statement and pledged to make achievement of Millennium Development Goal #5 (improve maternal health) “a high priority on the national, regional and international health agenda.”


Panel: Where do we go from here? Political will and advocacy for maternal health
Dr Flavia Bustreo, Deputy Director, The Partnership

Dr Flavia Bustreo, Deputy Director of the Partnership moderated a panel which examined the future in the light of twenty years of advocacy for maternal health. Panellists included Ms. Sibylle Pfeiffer, Member of Parliament, Germany, Fred Sai, an architect for Safe Motherhood Initiative and Jeremy Shiffman of Syracuse University.


Advocacy workshop: How to change the world for women and children?
Advocacy Workshop participants

A session aimed to sharpen maternal, newborn and child advocacy skills; provide hand-on tools and inspiration and inform about the Deliver Now for Women and Children campaign and other strategic global opportunities. With: Ann Pettifor, Executive Director, Advocacy International; Dr Aparajita Gogoi, National Coordinator, White Ribbon Alliance India and CEDPA India; and Dr Arletty Pinel, Team Leader, Deliver now for Women and Children, UNFPA and Interim Chair, Advocacy Working Group, The Partnership.


Saturday 20 October, 9:00-10:30 am, Plenary session: Future is now
Dr Kul Gautam, Chair of the Partnership Board

Kul Gautam, Chair of the Partnership Board and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, spoke at this plenary on the final morning of Women Deliver. He shared his vision for linking 20 years of safe motherhood with renewed efforts for achieving Millennium Development Goal 5 on maternal health by 2015.




The Partnership booth at Women Deliver
The Partnership booth

As a conference co-organizer, the Partnership saw many members take part in key sessions of the three day conference. Hundreds of delegates--members and interested parties-- visited The Partnership booth for networking opportunities, publications, handouts and video and photo materials on our activities. Many signed the Deliver Now pledge!

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