Every Woman Every Child at Davos World Economic Forum
A Better World for Women and Girls
26 JANUARY 2011| DAVOS - In collaboration with the UN Secretary General’s Office, the United Nations Foundation, the Elder and the Ford Foundation, PMNCH participated in a special side meeting at the 2012 Annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to explore ways the private sector can support the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health. The Global Strategy is an effort led by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon through which stakeholders, including business, can work together to save the lives of an estimated six million.
This meeting gathered participants from various industry sectors, organizations and governmental leadership. Key-note speakers were the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The event was facilitated by Mabel van Oranje, CEO of The Elders. Other speakers included the Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon,The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird, Grameen Bank’s Muhammad Yunus, Merck CEO Ken Frazier, J&J Pharmaceuticals CEO Paul Stoeffels, Becton Dickinson’s Gary Cohen, UNAIDS’s Deputy Jan Beagle, UN Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition David Nabarro, PMNCH Director Carole Presern and others. This event spoke to business and government leaders of the various reasons and ways to invest in women and children´s health.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu addressed the crowd emphasizing the strong need to advocate and change the tide of child marriage. Arch Bishop said of his grandchild: “She could be a child bride, but she is just lucky to grow up where this kind of thing doesn’t happen…If we do not change things this year, 10 million girls will have become child brides…Put the face of someone you know or love and make those numbers come alive.”
Dr. Carole Presern, Director of PMNCH, highlighted the Partnership´s role as a unique catalytic platform of various partner, including the private sector, and its efforts to develop a Guide for the private sector to find innovative opportunities to grow their business and improving women and children´s health through focused investments, shared value and collective impact.
This event´s attendees and speakers exemplified the outstanding commitments that have been made thus far for women and children’s health, and the presentations highlighted achievements as well as the work that needs to be done for women and children by 2015 and beyond.