At the beginning of June, I had the opportunity to join the Women Deliver Conference 2019. #WD2019
I began my engagement by speaking about young people’s power to achieve progress and institute change for a gender-equal world at the Youth Pre-Conference Women Deliver . The conference was attended by more than 1,000 youth participants who are ready to create power, progress, and change. My message to all of these change-makers was to review the power and privileges that are in their hand:
“For the majority of our generation, power is about disruption, innovation, connectivity, and entrepreneurship. Power is transparency, not secrecy. Power is being fluid, not hierarchical. Power is mobilization, not institutionalization. How do you use your power?”
At the side event hosted by BSR , Women Deliver and McKinsey & Company , I joined Miren Bengoa to discuss the future of work for young women that are changing rapidly because of tech advancement, socio-economic and political changes, as well as climate change.
I also attended a side event on the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action. Young people play a vital role in humanitarian settings. Reinforcing their contribution to humanitarian programming is the key to attain long-term development and a more resilient and peaceful society. It was a pleasure to discuss in concrete terms how we can better programme with and for young people in the most vulnerable settings.
During Day 2 at Women Deliver 2019, I talked about critical tools to ensure young women’s empowerment, progress, and development: data and leadership!
I had the chance to discuss how the realities of young women are often overlooked because of data that does not take into account our age or gender (and many other factors). Without #DisaggregatedData to measure inequality in gender and age, we will not be able to have policies that drive positive change for young people and achieve progress for all.
Afterward, I had some #RealTalk at the #EducationHub about the importance of education to enable young women’s leadership. Only with fair access to quality education, young women will have the opportunity to seize their potential and drive change to this world to their full capability. Lastly, I also joined the #PowerParty of #GirlsGetEqual with Plan International to discuss what’s needed to ensure that young women will be the leaders that they can be.
On the last day, I visited the coolest part of the event = #YouthZone! 🙋♀️ There, I met with fellow young people. I felt very inspired hearing their powerful stories on challenging status quo, breaking barriers on #genderequality, and exploring tensions around progress towards gender equality and sexual health and reproductive rights #SRHRfor LGBTQIA+ people and communities.
My conversation on #SRHR did not stop there, I then joined UNFPA for a constructive discussion about youth’s role in advancing #SRHR and achieving the #ICPD25 agenda. In a time like this – when global political pushbacks against #SRHR persist, young people are taking the challenge and ready to create progress – we need to provide youth with space, funding and the support to finish the unfinished business and ensure sexual and reproductive health a right for all.
I ended the day by joining a discussion on the importance of ensuring girls’ opportunities to pursue education with Global Partnership for Education. 130 million girls around the world are out of secondary school, gender-based discrimination is still one of the main barriers for education access. Our world could gain so much from having more educated girls, they are the drivers of growth and development.👩🎓 With that, I want to remind all of us that: access to education is a human right, no matter your background or status in society.
Grateful to have the opportunity to meet inspiring young gender champions and supporters from around the world and happy to return back to New York with greater hope for a better and equal future!🙌 #WD2019