The International Conference of Family Planning has now officially started. This year’s theme is Full Access, Full Choice to family planning, and to kick off the conversation today, the plenary panel discussed the role of women in leadership and empowering young women as leaders to ensure that we meet the goals that we have set up to achieve.
Here is a quick recap of the conversation from this morning’s inspirational panel.
Mrs. Melinda Gates
Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Contraceptives give people an opportunity for a better life. ~ @MelindaGates #ICFPLive #familyplanning
— Girls’ Globe (@GirlsGlobe) November 13, 2013
@melindagates: "We want to make sure that women have the ability to reach their dreams." #ICFPLive #familyplanning pic.twitter.com/cGLh7uU4ov
— FHI 360 (@fhi360) November 13, 2013
"Contraceptives are a link on a long chain that gives people an opportunity for a better life" – @melindagates #ICFPLive #ICFP2013
— ICFP2021 (@ICFP2021) November 13, 2013
"Our mission is bold, but achievable!" Inspired by the positive stories told by @melindagates at #ICFP2013 #ICFPLive #FullAccess #FullChoice
— Julia Wiklander (@juliasglobe) November 13, 2013
"Youth are the ones with big ideas. We need to help them raise their voices." –@melindagates #ICFP13 #ICFPlive
— Pathfinder Int. (@PathfinderInt) November 13, 2013
"When you think about the commitment of the world to reach #MDG4 two years early, it is really quite remarkable." ~ @MelindaGates #ICFPLive
— Girls’ Globe (@GirlsGlobe) November 13, 2013
"Our foundation is committed to this, & we are committed to this for a long time." @melindagates @gatesfoundation #ICFPLive #familyplanning
— FHI 360 (@fhi360) November 13, 2013
Lets make sure that women's courage counts. Let's fight w/ them as hard as we can and for as long as it takes. ~ @MelindaGates #ICFPLive
— Girls’ Globe (@GirlsGlobe) November 13, 2013
Melinda Gates: Ethiopia has the kind of leadership we need in #familyplanning #ICFP2013 #ICFPLive
— Brian W. Simpson MPH (@briansimpson99) November 13, 2013
"We're going to get there." – @melindagates on the #FP2020 goal. #ICFPLive
— ICFP2021 (@ICFP2021) November 13, 2013
Her Excellency Roman Tesfaye
First Lady of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
"Family planning is one of the basic rights of women" – Ethiopian First Lady Roman Tesfaye #ICFPLive #ICFP2013
— ICFP2021 (@ICFP2021) November 13, 2013
1st Lady of Ethiopia: This conference is key to generate new commitments in #familyplanning, improve women's lives #ICFPLive @_AfricanUnion
— UNFPA (@UNFPA) November 13, 2013
First Lady Roman Tesfaye – Ethiopia's leadership is committed to #FullChoice #FullAccess #ICFPLive
— UrbanRH (@UrbanRH) November 13, 2013
H.E. Tesfaye: girls need to be educated and protected from unwanted pregnancy #womenleaders #ICFPLive
— USAID Global Health (@USAIDGH) November 13, 2013
HE Roman Tesfaye of #Ethiopia says we must address women's issues in order to become middle income country. #icfp2013 #ICFPlive
— PRB (@PRBdata) November 13, 2013
H.E. Tesfaye: Health Extension Workers play an important role in getting #FamilyPlanning services & info to women #ICFPLive #womenleaders
— USAID Global Health (@USAIDGH) November 13, 2013
Great insight on #familyplanning from First Lady of #Ethiopia H.E Roman Tesfaye #ICFPLive
— Justine Stacey (@jaybeestay) November 13, 2013
"We have to work really hard to eliminate early marriage as soon as possible," First Lady of Ethiopia Roman Tesfaye at #ICFP2013 #ICFPLive
— Girls Not Brides (@GirlsNotBrides) November 13, 2013
Professor Marleen Temmerman
Director of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research and of HRP at the World Health Organisation
"We need #familyplanning as one of the tools to empower girls and women and reach development" – Marleen Temmerman of @WHO #ICFPLive
— Julia Wiklander (@juliasglobe) November 13, 2013
"They died on their way to give life" – Dr Temmerman of @WHO on patients she lost over the years to unsafe abortion #ICFPLive
— Planned Parenthood Global (@ppglobe) November 12, 2013
1st Lady of Ethiopia: This conference is key to generate new commitments in #familyplanning, improve women's lives #ICFPLive @_AfricanUnion
— UNFPA (@UNFPA) November 13, 2013
Ms. Theo Sowa
Chief Executive Officer of the African Women Development Fund
"Family planning and reproductive health are a key to unlocking all kinds of power and protection for women" – @TheoSowa #ICFPLive #ICFP2013
— ICFP2021 (@ICFP2021) November 13, 2013
YES! @theosowa of @awdf01 says she's delighted that we're talking about women's rights and women's leadership for #familyplanning! #ICFPLive
— Julia Wiklander (@juliasglobe) November 13, 2013
If we don't go beyond rhetoric & translate all the right talk into programming,it's an insult to the millions of women who r dying.#ICFPLive
— ICFP Youth 2013 (@FPYouth2013) November 13, 2013
.@TheoSowa: I would like to challenge all of us, how do we bring together #womenleaders at all levels in our countries? #ICFPLive
— USAID Global Health (@USAIDGH) November 13, 2013
@TheoSowa says rhetoric without action leads to marginalization. Business as usual won't change #womens #rights. #ICFPLive
— PRB (@PRBdata) November 13, 2013
The more economically empowered women are, the more likely they will be 2 plan their families & stay empowered -H.E Roman Testaye #ICFPLive
— Justine Stacey (@jaybeestay) November 13, 2013
.@TheoSowa: #womenleaders should bring young women with them to the table, step outside of your comfort zone #ICFPLive
— USAID Global Health (@USAIDGH) November 13, 2013
Ms. Theo Sowa: In high level donor conversations, bring a woman who never has that access. #ICFP2013 #ICFPLive
— Brian W. Simpson MPH (@briansimpson99) November 13, 2013
All of us need to challenge ourselves to do things differently. ~ Theo Sawa, CEO @AWDF01 #ICFPLive
— Girls’ Globe (@GirlsGlobe) November 13, 2013
Ms. Ellen H. Starbird
Director of the Office of Population and Reproductive Health at USAID
Ellen Starbird: Women & Girls in developing countries have the same rights to make #RH & #FP choices as those in the developed . #ICFPLive
— ICFP Youth 2013 (@FPYouth2013) November 13, 2013
Women in dvlping countries must havee same #familyplanning choices that women in dvlpd countries have. ~ Ellen Starbird @USAIDGH #ICFPLive
— Girls’ Globe (@GirlsGlobe) November 13, 2013
Starbird: we must strive for global equity in family planning and reproductive health #womenleaders #ICFPLive
— USAID Global Health (@USAIDGH) November 13, 2013
Ellen Starbird says focus on contraceptives for low resource settings part of @USAIDGH strategy for equity. #ICFP2013 #ICFPLive
— PRB (@PRBdata) November 13, 2013
Starbird: we focus our resources on countries in SE Asia and Africa with the highest unmet need for family planning #womenleaders #ICFPLive
— USAID Global Health (@USAIDGH) November 13, 2013
Ms. Carol S. Larson
President and Chief Executive Officer of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation
https://twitter.com/Diane_Fender/status/400521338999173120
Carol Larson of Packard Fdn thanks Amy Tsui for global leadership for #familyplanning. Yes! #ICFP2013 #ICFPLive
— PRB (@PRBdata) November 13, 2013
Men need 2 respect women, boys need 2 respect girls, & everyone needs 2 have equal access to make their own decisions-Carol Larson #ICFPLive
— Justine Stacey (@jaybeestay) November 13, 2013
"We want to meet women where they are in decision making." -Carol Larson @DLPFexplore #familyplanning #ICFPLive
— Diane Wikler (@Diane_Wikler) November 13, 2013
"We're about 3500 ppl at the AU, but real courage happens in groups of 2 (couples), of 3 (young woman and peers)" @DLPFexplore #ICFPLive
— Julia Wiklander (@juliasglobe) November 13, 2013
Question & Answer with Theo Sowa
I had the possibility of asking the panel a question during the Press Briefing.
How can we ensure that the voices of the women and girls that we are actually trying to help are heard by leaders and that they act upon that?
@jwklndr asks Gender Equity Leadership panel "How can we ensure the voices of women and girls can be heard? #familyplanning #icfplive
— Girls’ Globe (@GirlsGlobe) November 13, 2013
This was a part of Theo Sowa’s response:
