Wednesday 5 June
The Power of Integration and Scale: Driving big global social change
Scaling up the status quo will not close the gender gap or make the world a more gender equal place. We need to break down silos between issues and sectors, and we need to integrate and collaborate in order to accelerate progress and change. The Power…
Marie Villeneuve
Originally from Chicoutimi, Quebec, Marie Villeneuve joined Radio-Canada's British-Columbia/Yukon radio team in February 2010 to cover the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Marie has a diverse background both behind the scenes and on-air. Before becoming the host of the late afternoon show, Boulevard du Pacifique on ICI Radio-Canada Premiere, Marie was a columnist and an Associate Director of various radio and television shows. Since June 2013, the public has tuned in hear Marie at the helm of Phare Ouest, a daily show from 6 am to 9 am (97.7 FM in Vancouver).
Alan Jope
Alan joined Unilever in the UK in 1985, subsequently working in North America for 14 years and in Asia for 13 years. Before being appointed as Chief Executive Officer, Alan served as President of Unilever’s Personal Care business from 2014 and continued as President when the name of the division changed in 2018 to Beauty and Personal Care.
From 2009 Alan led Unilever’s business in China and North Asia, doubling its size and laying important foundations for future success. He was appointed to Unilever’s Leadership Executive in 2011 in his role as President of Unilever’s businesses across North Asia. His previous senior roles have also included President Russia, Africa & Middle East; global category leader for several of Unilever’s Foods businesses; and President of Unilever’s Home & Personal Care business in North America. Earlier, Alan worked in a number of sales and marketing roles in the UK, Thailand, and the US.
Alan holds a Bachelor of Commerce with honours from Edinburgh University, Scotland. He also graduated from Harvard Business School’s General Management Program in 2001.
Kristalina Georgieva
Kristalina Georgieva is the Chief Executive Officer for the World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association). Georgieva’s role is to build support across the international community to mobilize resources for poor and middle-income countries and to create better opportunities for the world’s most vulnerable people.
Previously, Georgieva, a Bulgarian national, played a leading role in shaping the agenda of the European Union, first as Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, managing one of the world’s largest humanitarian aid budgets, and later as Vice President for Budget and Human Resources, in charge of the European Union’s €161 billion (US $175bn) budget and 33,000 staff around the world.
Before joining the European Commission, Georgieva held multiple positions at the World Bank, including, most recently, Vice President and Corporate Secretary (2008-2010), and from 2007 to 2008, Director for Sustainable Development in charge of 60 percent of the World Bank’s policy and lending operations.
Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen
A renowned leader in development and gender equality, Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen has worked for over 25 years in international development, human rights, change management and diplomacy.
Ms. Albrectsen has been CEO of Plan International since September 2015. Prior to this she was United Nations Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director for Management at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Ms. Albrectsen is also Chairperson of the International Civil Society Centre and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and a member of the United Nations Every Woman Every Child High Level Steering Group and the Generation Unlimited Global Board.
Ms. Albrectsen has previously held senior leadership positions in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNFPA and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She served with the UNDP from 1997 to 2004, in Indonesia and later as Director of the Administrator’s Office at UNDP Headquarters. She led country operations for UNFPA in Turkey, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan from 2004-2006. From 2007-2009, she led the Danish government’s humanitarian and civil society affairs work as the director of the relevant division in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ms Albrectsen is Danish and holds a law degree from the University of Copenhagen.
Henrietta Fore
Henrietta Fore is UNICEF’s seventh Executive Director. Ms. Fore brings to the role more than four decades of private and public sector leadership experience.
Prior to taking up this appointment Ms. Fore served as Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Holsman International, a manufacturing and investment company. From 2007 to2009, Ms. Fore, an American national, served as both the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and as Director of United States Foreign Assistance in the U.S. State Department. From 2005 to 2007, Ms. Fore was Under Secretary of State for Management, the Chief Operating Officer for the U.S. Department of State. Prior to that, she was the 37th Director of the United States Mint, a position she held from 2001 to 2005. Earlier in her career, at USAID, she was appointed as Assistant Administrator for Asia and Assistant Administrator for Private Enterprise (1989-1993). She also served on the Boards of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
In addition to her Government service, Ms. Fore has had leadership roles in a number of organizations in civil society, including being Global Co-Chair of the Asia Society, and associations with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Aspen Institute, the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, and the Center for Global Development.
Ms. Fore has also had leadership roles in the corporate sector, serving on the boards of a number of U.S. and international public corporations, and being active in promoting best practices in the corporate sector – including as Co-Chair of Women Corporate Directors. Effective December 31, 2017 Ms. Fore will have stepped down from all outside board engagements.
Ms. Fore has a Bachelor of Arts in History from Wellesley College and a Master of Science in Public Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. She is married and has four children.
Dr. Githinji Gitahi
A passionate advocate for a pro-poor Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Githinji Gitahi is Group CEO of Amref Health Africa and Co-Chair of the UHC2030 Steering Committee, a global World Bank and World Health Organization initiative for UHC. Amref Health Africa, founded in 1957, is the largest African-led international organization on the continent reaching more than 9 million people through over 150 health-focused projects across 35 countries.
Dr. Gitahi has received the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS), a commendation from the President of Kenya, for promoting health in Kenya. He has a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Nairobi, a Master’s in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing, from United States International University and a Certificate for Strategic Perspectives for Nonprofit Management from Harvard University.
- Organization
- The YP Foundation
Manasa Priya Vasudevan
Manasa Priya Vasudevan works at the Delhi-based The YP Foundation, where she manages Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights interventions in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi NCR. In her role, Manasa works closely with diverse groups of adolescents, youth and their gatekeepers from across urban, rural, institutional and informal settings. Manasa also facilitates young people's direct engagement on policy by strengthening youth capacities, and connecting them with technical agencies and policymakers so that they can meaningfully inform large scale policies and programs on health. As a member of the FP2020 global reference group, Manasa also ensures that young people's diverse realities and needs are highlighted at national, regional and global platforms. In the past, as a NIXI fellow and Research Associate at IT for Change, she has undertaken research and advocacy on issues at the intersections of information communication technologies and social justice. Manasa holds a Master’s degree in Gender, Media and Culture from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.
- Date
- Wednesday 5 June
- Location
- Plenary Hall, Vancouver Convention Center
- Hours
- 8:30 am - 10:00 am PST
- Speakers
- Marie Villeneuve
- Alan Jope
- Kristalina Georgieva
- Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen
- Henrietta Fore
- Dr. Githinji Gitahi
- Manasa Priya Vasudevan
- Ntokozo Zakwe
- Gerda Verburg
- Tags
- Plenary
The Power of Integration and Scale: Driving big global social change
Scaling up the status quo will not close the gender gap or make the world a more gender equal place. We need to break down silos between issues and sectors, and we need to integrate and collaborate in order to accelerate progress and change. The Power of Integration and Scale will examine how we create cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approaches to solving problems and what factors are needed to scale an idea or program. We will hear examples from business executives, campaigners, policy leaders, and grassroots organizers on how true integration reaches across sectors and issues to drive societal change.
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Opening: His Excellency Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, C.G.H.President of the Republic of Kenya
Moderator: Marie Villeneuve, Radio Canada Vancouver, CBC
Flash Panel:
- Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever
- Ntokozo Zakwe, DREAMS Ambassador
- Kristalina Georgieva, CEO, World Bank
- Dr. Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO, Amref Health Africa and Co-Chair, UHC2030
- Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO, Plan International
- Manasa Priya Vasudevan, Program Manager, Know Your Body, Know Your Rights
- Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, UNICEF
- Gerda Verburg, Coordinator, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Alliance
Fire Talk:
- Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever
- Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director, UNICEF
Delivering for Girls and Women Award
The Power of Breaking Barriers: Systemic change, individual gain
At the heart of gender equality lies the right to power over one’s self and one’s future. And at the heart of the calls for structural change lies the need for a more power balanced and equal world. The Power of Breaking Barriers will examine individual…
Dr. Natalia Kanem
On 3 October 2017, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Dr. Natalia Kanem as Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. Dr. Kanem brings to the position more than 30 years of strategic leadership experience in medicine, public and reproductive health, social justice and philanthropy. She started her career in academia with the Johns Hopkins and Columbia University schools of medicine and public health.
While serving as a Ford Foundation Officer from 1992 to 2005, she helped pioneer work in women’s reproductive health and sexuality, in particular through her position as the representative for West Africa. She then served at the Foundation headquarters, becoming Deputy Vice-President for its worldwide peace and social justice programmes in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and North America.
From 2014 to 2016, Dr. Kanem served as UNFPA Representative in the United Republic of Tanzania. In July 2016, she was named Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA in charge of programs. Dr. Kanem was founding president of ELMA Philanthropies Inc., a private institution focusing primarily on children and youth in Africa. She also has been a senior associate of the Lloyd Best Institute of the West Indies.
Dr. Kanem holds a medical degree from Columbia University, New York, and a Master’s degree in Public Health, with specializations in epidemiology and preventive medicine, from the University of Washington, Seattle. She is also a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied history and science. Dr. Kanem becomes the fifth Executive Director of UNFPA since the Fund became operational in 1969.
Shahira Amin
Shahira Amin is an independent journalist based in Cairo. Former Deputy Head of Egypt’s English-language channel Nile TV and one of the channel’s Senior Anchors, Amin quit her job in the height of the January 2011 uprising to protest censorship. A longtime contributor to CNN’s Inside Africa, Amin reported mainly on women’s issues (female genital mutilation, girls education, early marriages, domestic violence etc.) and the rights of minorities (the plight of Sudanese refugees, discrimination against Coptic Christians, sectarian clashes etc.) from 2000 to 2012. In May 2011 (a couple of months after the uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak to step down), Amin broke the story on virginity tests performed by a military doctor on 17 Tahrir female protesters after she got the first admission from a senior army general that the tests had been carried out. Her coverage contributed to the issuance of a decree ruling that such tests will never be carried out again in Egypt. For the last seven years, Amin has worked as an online journalist reporting on the post-revolution developments in her country. Her work has been published mainly in Index on Censorship, Freemuse and Al Monitor. She has also worked as a filmmaker, producing 9 documentaries for various UN agencies (UNIDO, ILO, UNICEF and UN Women.)
Amin is a founding member of the Egyptian Women Journalists Union, a network established in 2015 that extends legal, moral and professional support to female journalists in Egypt. The NGO organizes training workshops for young and mid-career journalists (male and female) in provinces outside Cairo where training opportunities are limited and has recently produced a training manual for journalists covering population issues (family planning, gender-based violence etc.) with the support of UNFPA. She is also a board member of the International Women’s Forum, a Washington-based NGO working to promote women leadership and youth empowerment.
Amin has won several international awards including the BMW’s Responsible Leaders Award 2016, The Global Thinkers Forum Excellence in Promoting Gender Equality Award 2013 and Spain’s Julio Anguita Parrado Award for Courageous Journalism 2012.
Nancy Northup
Nancy Northup has served as President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights since 2003. Under her leadership, the organization has become the global leader in using the power of law to advance reproductive rights as fundamental human rights. Through its offices on five continents, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood by courts, governments, and human rights bodies around the world. It has secured legal victories in the U.S., Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe on issues including access to life-saving obstetrics care, contraception, and safe abortion services, as well as the prevention of forced sterilization and child marriage, and has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in over 60 countries.
Northup has devoted her legal career to the public interest. She was the founding director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, served as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and clerked in U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Northup has held adjunct appointments at NYU Law School and Columbia Law School and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Hina Jilani
Hina Jilani is a member of The Elders, a group of independent global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007.
In addition, Hina Jilani is a pioneering lawyer and human rights defender. As an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, she has conducted many landmark cases setting new human rights standards in the country. She created Pakistan’s first all-women law firm and co-founded Pakistan’s first legal aid centre. She also founded its national Human Rights Commission and the Women’s Action Forum, a prominent pressure group at the heart of Pakistan’s democracy movement. She was the first Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders from 2000 to 2008.
Hina is currently the President of the World Organisation Against Torture and co-chairs the World Refugee Council and the International Task Force on Justice.
Dr. Alvaro Bermejo
Dr. Alvaro Bermejo is the Director General of IPPF, a role he began on 1st of March 2018. He has more than 20 years’ experience as a senior executive in global federations, working across HIV and AIDS, humanitarian issues and health policy. Before joining IPPF Alvaro was the Executive Director of the Survive & Thrive portfolio at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation which included work on nutrition, health, deworming and education.
Prior to that, Alvaro was Executive Director at the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, where he contributed to the design and implementation of its strategy, oversaw its rapid growth and expansion to 36 countries, and led a team which achieved significant policy influence. From 2011 to 2013 he served as Board member for the Developed Country NGO delegation to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Alvaro also spent more than ten years with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), where latterly as Director, Health and Care, he created the environment and partnerships that positioned the Red Cross as a key player in the fight against HIV and AIDS and helped establish the IFRC’s global emergency health response mechanisms. He has also worked for the Spanish official overseas development assistance agency (AECI) and held field positions in primary health care programmes in both Bolivia and Nicaragua.
Alvaro qualified as a medical doctor from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and holds an MA in Public Health from the University of Leeds.
Anoka Primrose
Anoka is the Asia-Pacific Representative to the UN Habitat YAB, a Women Deliver Young Leader, British Council International Climate Champion and Sri Lanka’s first female World Economic Forum New Champion. She started volunteering and activism for environmental protection and conservation at age 13 in 2004 after surviving the Tsunami in Sri Lanka. She is the co-founder of Growin’ Money replanting over 60000 Mangroves, and a social enterprise supporting communities providing skills training for better employability such as IT training, basic resume making, eco-tourism guide training, handicrafts making and organic produce making. An alumnus of the University of London, University of Colombo and Harvard University, Abeyrathne is a post-graduate student of the University of Cambridge -Judge Business School.
Waneek Horn-Miller
Waneek works and travels extensively throughout the Aboriginal world. Through her work as a sports commentator for CBC and APTN, Waneek has become a community advocate for sport, fitness and wellness. She also has traveled extensively throughout North America as a motivational speaker. As one of Canada’s few Aboriginal Olympians, Waneek has used her passion and experiences in sport to influence Aboriginal and non-aboriginal leadership towards making Sport and Wellness a community building priority. Waneek was the director of Community engagement for the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls. She is currently working as the brand ambassador for the aboriginal forward company Manitobah Mukluks as well as pursuing graduate studies in the field of Indigenous Motivation at the University of British Columbia.
- Date
- Wednesday 5 June
- Location
- Plenary Hall, Vancouver Convention Center
- Hours
- 10:30 am - 12:00 pm PST
- Speakers
- Dr. Natalia Kanem
- Shahira Amin
- Nancy Northup
- Hina Jilani
- Dr. Alvaro Bermejo
- Anoka Primrose
- Waneek Horn-Miller
- Musola Catherine Kaseketi
- Lina Abirafeh, PhD
- Ziauddin Yousafzai
- Tags
- Plenary
The Power of Breaking Barriers: Systemic change, individual gain
At the heart of gender equality lies the right to power over one’s self and one’s future. And at the heart of the calls for structural change lies the need for a more power balanced and equal world. The Power of Breaking Barriers will examine individual power, self-esteem, and agency, as well as explore systems, challenges, and opportunities for progress. How can we break down barriers from political, legal, economic, and social structures to drive lasting change?
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Opening: Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, UNFPA
Moderator: Shahira Amin, Independent Journalist
Flash Panel:
- Nancy Northup, President & CEO, Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR)
- Hina Jilani, Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan
- Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, Director-General, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)
- Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne, Social Entrepreneur, Sustain Solutions
- Waneek Horn-Miller, Former Olympian and Indigenous Activist
- Musola Catherine Kaseketi, Founder & Executive Director, Vilole Images Productions and HerAbilities Award Winner
- Dr. Lina Abirafeh, Executive Director, the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University
Fire Talk: Ziauddin Yousafzai, Co-Founder, Malala Fund
The Power of Stories: Making sexual and reproductive health and rights come to life
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is about a woman’s opportunity to decide if, when, and how many children to have, and about being able to live her full potential in a world without fear, stigma, or discrimination. The Power of Stories…
Kate Gilmore
Kate Gilmore was appointed United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights on 1st December 2015.
She brings to the position diverse and longstanding experience in strategic leadership and human rights advocacy with the United Nations, government and non-government organizations.
Prior to joining OHCHR, Ms. Gilmore was Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director for Programmes with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Previously she was National Director of Amnesty International Australia and then Executive Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty International.
Ms. Gilmore started her career as a social worker and government policy officer in Australia. She helped establish Australia’s first Centre Against Sexual Assault at Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital and her work over a number of years focused on prevention of violence against women. In Australia, she was granted honorary appointments to provincial and national public policy and law reform processes, including membership of the country’s first National Committee on Violence Against Women.
Ms. Gilmore holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New England and postgraduate degrees in Social Work from the University of Melbourne and Community Development from RMIT.
Dr. Roopa Dhatt
Dr. Roopa Dhatt is a physician by training and an advocate by principle. She was recently recognized in the Gender Equality Top 100, the most influential people in global policy 2019. She is the Executive Director and co-founder of Women in Global Health (@womeningh), an organization that aims to achieve gender equality in global health leadership and advance women’s leadership. Women in Global Health is a global movement with ~21K followers, from 90+ countries, with global chapters in 4 continents.
She serves as the Co-Chair of Global Health Workforce Network Gender Equity Hub, is on several advisory bodies, including the Research in Gender and Ethics (RinGS) Advisory Board; Strategic Advisory Committee for the Global Health Workforce Network (GHWN); the Global Health 50-50 Advisory Council, Global Health Council Advisory Council, the GlobeMed Advisory Board, and formerly, in the Women Leaders in Global Health Conference Steering Committee. She has served on World Health Organization task teams and working groups to improve meaningful civil society engagement.
Dr. Dhatt is deeply committed to providing primary care, as she is an Internist, in Washington D.C. She completed her training at Case Western Reserve University, Department of Internal Medicine in the International Health Track. She has a decade of experience in global health from leading world-wide campaigns on global health issues including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Climate Change, Social Determinants of Health, Universal Health Coverage, and Health in All Policies, engaging people from 120+ countries. Formerly, she was the President of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations and is the founder of the Young Voices, Youth: Pre-World Health Assembly (#yWHA) in 2013 with the Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute. She has a B.A. and B.S. from the University of California, Davis in Cell Biology and African American and African studies; a Master in Public Affairs from Sciences Po, Paris, France; and an M.D. from Temple University School of Medicine.
Jona Claire Turalde
Being the youngest and first youth champion of the SheDecides movement and member of the Guiding group for 2 years now, Jona has been constantly finding herself in the extremes of situations: from staying in communities where a teenage mother she interviewed wasn't aware that she was actually raped, and even going to schools despite gov't agencies' efforts, students still believe they lack the knowledge and access to contraceptives and other SRHR services; to lobbying, securing and persuading international stakeholders commitment in ensuring that she decides without question!She became a Girl Advisor for an international research titled "Girls to the Front: a snapshot of girls' organising" commissioned by IworldsGlobal, Frida Young Feminist Fund and Mama Cash. In her free time, she organizes a youth organization that advocates for reproductive health and rights. Despite all of these, she's a full time Anthropology student.
- Organization
- International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region
Kobe Smith
Kobe Smith is a youth advocate from Guyana and a Women Deliver Young Leader (Class of 2018). He is pursuing a Bachelor of Laws at University of Guyana and working at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited.
Kobe is passionate about incorporating comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in school curricula to inform youth of their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). As president of Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association’s Youth Advocacy Movement, Kobe has led and supported outreach activities, advocacy campaigns, and CSE for thousands of young people.
Kobe has participated and presented at international advocacy fora in the U.K., Peru, Rwanda, and U.S. In 2017, he participated in a hearing at the Organization of American States, where he highlighted SRHR issues affecting Guyanese youth. Kobe has also successfully advocated for the implementation of a national reintegration policy for adolescent mothers in Guyana.
Alongside his membership at United Nations Population Fund’s Youth Advisory Group, Kobe serves as Youth Director on the Regional Board of International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region and Alternate Youth Director on the Governing Council of IPPF. In 2017, Kobe received the National Youth Award for his dedicated service to promoting health education for adolescents in Guyana.
Karl Hofmann
Karl Hofmann leads PSI (Population Services International), a global health non-profit organization operating in over 50 countries worldwide, working in family planning and reproductive health, malaria, water and sanitation, HIV, and non-communicable diseases.
For 50 years, PSI has measurably improved the health of people in the developing world, making it easier for them to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire. PSI partners with the private sector, national governments, and local organizations to create health solutions that are built to last.
Looking to the future, PSI is reimagining healthcare, to put the consumer at the center of programming, and wherever possible, to bring care directly to her front door.
Before joining PSI, Karl was a career American diplomat for 23 years. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Togo, Executive Secretary of the Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France. He also served on President Clinton’s National Security Council staff.
Karl is Vice Chair of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy, and the CSIS Commission on American Health Security. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and the National Defense University.
Nelly Munyasia
Nelly is the Executive Director for the Reproductive Health Network in Kenya, a network of trained health care providers, who are passionate about ensuring provision of quality comprehensive reproductive health information and services especially safe and legal abortion. She is a trained Midwife/Nurse and a health systems management expert, a Reproductive Health Advocate and Champion for girls and women rights.
Nelly is passionate about protecting reproductive health rights, including safe and legal abortion for vulnerable and marginalized girls and women as a way of ensuring gender equality and realization of their full potential in life.
At RHNK, she has overseen the expansion and growth of the network through training of abortion service providers and establishing community linkages with community gatekeepers and local policy makers for advocacy purposes. Nelly has grown the network to a membership of 571 health care providers that have supported the realization of a healthy society with comprehensive reproductive health services. Under her leadership, RHNK has developed and grown a movement of young people who are instrumental in the realization of the organizations mission.
Nelly has successfully engaged at the national, regional and international advocacy forums that advocate for policy change and gender equality in provision of sexual and reproductive health services including safe abortion services.
Heather Jarvis
Heather Jarvis is a queer woman, activist, survivor, and feminist who was born in South Africa and immigrated to Canada as a child.
For over a decade Heather has been honoured to volunteer and work with a variety of grassroots social justice projects involving survivors of sexual violence, queer and trans people, sex workers, incarcerated women, drug users, and people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2011 Heather co-founded SlutWalk Toronto, a small rally that began in Toronto and then spread around the world. Since then, she has done a TEDx talk, won awards recognizing her activism from Planned Parenthood, Utne and Flare, been interviewed by media around the world, and become a public speaker, advocate and educator at conferences and on campuses across Canada.
Heather has a deep commitment to compassion and accountability, harm reduction and transformative justice from the ground up. She currently lives in a small rural cabin with her partner and two rescue dogs, as a settler in Newfoundland & Labrador, and works in St. John’s for Safe Harbour Outreach Project (SHOP), the only sex worker rights program in the province.
- Date
- Wednesday 5 June
- Location
- Plenary Hall, Vancouver Convention Center
- Hours
- 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm PST
- Speakers
- Kate Gilmore
- Dr. Roopa Dhatt
- Jona Claire Turalde
- Kobe Smith
- Karl Hofmann
- Nelly Munyasia
- Heather Jarvis
- Anne Philpott
- Tags
- Plenary
The Power of Stories: Making sexual and reproductive health and rights come to life
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is about a woman’s opportunity to decide if, when, and how many children to have, and about being able to live her full potential in a world without fear, stigma, or discrimination. The Power of Stories will use powerful reflections and examples to translate the term SRHR into something all people can understand. We’ll explore identity, autonomy, bodily integrity, pleasure, sexuality, and choice.
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Opening: Kate Gilmore, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
Moderator: Dr. Roopa Dhatt, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Women in Global Health
Power Talks:
- Kobe Smith, Youth Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region
- Karl Hofmann, President & CEO, Population Services International (PSI)
- Jona Turalde, SheDecides Youth Champion, Co-Founder, International Youth Alliance for Family Planning Philippines
- Bushra Al-Makaleh, Reproductive Health Specialist, Save the Children International, Yemen
- Nelly Munyasia, Programs Manager, Reproductive Health Network Kenya
- Heather Jarvis, Co-Founder, SlutWalk
- Anne Philpott, Founder, The Pleasure Project
- Arushi Singh, Pleasure Propagandist, The Pleasure Project
The Power of the Arts: Using words, music, design, and more to advance gender equality
Changing perceptions and gender norms is crucial in order to advance gender equality and the status of girls and women in society. The Power of the Arts will showcase how words, entertainment, music, architecture, and more can reshape perceptions in…
Emi Mahmoud
Emi Mahmoud is a Sudanese-American slam poet, activist, and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. In June 2018, she opened TEDxKakumaCamp, the first ever TEDx event in a refugee camp. Emi uses her work and talent to raise awareness about refugees, notably including Boy in the Sand and Head over Heels. In 2015, she won the Individual World Poetry Slam championship for her poem Mama, a tribute to her mother. She has witnessed UNHCR’s frontline work in the field, having spent time with Syrian refugees in Zaatari and Azraq camps in Jordan in 2018. She has also traveled to Greece and Uganda – in the latter, she led poetry workshops. Emi has represented the UNHCR at multiple high profile events, such as the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society in Paris, the Youth Strategy 2030 launch at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and the Hilton Foundation Humanitarian Prize event.
Erica Johnson
Erica Johnson is an award-winning investigative journalist with a particular interest in media, gender equality and consumer issues. She has covered gender inequality in Kenya’s education system, sexual harassment inside Canada’s prison system and sexual assault risks for female travellers. As host of Go Public – an investigative segment on national radio, television and online – Johnson exposes wrong-doing and holds corporations and governments to account. Previously, she hosted Canada’s investigative consumer program, Marketplace, for 15 years.
Most recently, Johnson’s examination of misleading sales practices inside Canada’s telecom industry lead to a national public inquiry and better protections for consumers. Her investigation of aggressive sales targets inside Canada’s banks lead to a banking review.
As the mother of a 15 year old daughter, Johnson is pleased to participate in a conference aimed at making the world a better, stronger place for girls and women.
OluTimehin Adegbeye
OluTimehin Adegbeye is a writer, speaker, and advocate whose work focuses on human rights, inclusion and justice in the areas of Gender, Sexualities, and Urbanisation.
Her TED Talk “Who Belongs in a City?”, on the subject of inclusive urbanisation in her home city of Lagos, was delivered when she was 25 years old. It has been viewed over 2 million times and was chosen by TED as one of the best ten talks of 2017.
As a leading voice in the Nigerian Young Feminist movement, Ms Adegbeye has worked with a wide range of political, cultural, civil society and corporate organisations, including the European Union in Nigeria, UN Women, Unilever, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), the Ake Arts and Book Festival, The Initiative for Equal Rights, and other entities.
She has been invited to speak at events in a dozen countries across four continents, including the inaugural U20 Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her writing, which is available both digitally and in print, has been translated into multiple languages.
John Cary
When architect-turned-writer John Cary co-authored an op-ed with partner Courtney E. Martin on the design failures of the breast pump, it sparked an MIT Media Lab hackathon and the launch of multiple companies. It’s a perfect example of his knack for linking good design and public good. John is the author of two books, most recently Design for Good: A New Era of Architecture for Everyone with a foreword by Melinda Gates, and his writing on design, philanthropy, and fatherhood is widely published. John works as a philanthropic advisor to an array of foundations and nonprofits around the world, including as Senior Program Officer of The Audacious Project, a big-bet philanthropy program managed by TED. In addition to being a TED speaker, John also frequently curates and hosts events for TED, the Aspen Institute, and other entities. Deeply committed to diversifying the public stage, John is also a founding partner in FRESH Speakers, a next-generation speakers bureau that represents young women and people of color. He lives with his family in a co-housing community in Oakland, Calif.
Rand Jarallah
Rand Jarallah is passionate about combining art and activism. She is founder of Randistic, a platform that uses art, performance, and makeup to convey stories on a range of topics, including human rights and mental health. Rand is also a Women Deliver Young Leader from the Class of 2016.
Since becoming a Women Deliver Young Leader, Rand has led many successful makeup campaigns, including a collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund on #7DaysOfMakeup, which helped raise awareness on the needs of displaced girls and women. Her artivism has been featured in The New York Times, Marie Claire, Vogue, The Independent, CNN, BBC, Mashable, and other media outlets.
Rand was born and raised in Palestine. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Art and Politics and has received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Sociology, and Marketing.
Maysoon Zayid
Maysoon Zayid is an actress, comedian, writer and disability advocate. She is a graduate of, and a Guest Comedian in Residence, at Arizona State University. Maysoon is the co-founder/co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and The Muslim Funny Fest. She was a full-time On Air Contributor to Countdown with Keith Olbermann and a columnist for The Daily Beast. She has most recently appeared on Oprah Winfrey Network’s In Deep Shift, 60 Minutes, and ABC News. Maysoon had the number one TED Talk of 2014 and was named 1 of 100 Women of 2015 by BBC.
As a professional comedian, Maysoon has performed in top New York clubs and has toured extensively at home and abroad. She was a headliner on the Arabs Gone Wild Comedy Tour and The Muslims Are Coming Tour. Maysoon appeared alongside Adam Sandler in You Don’t Mess with the the Zohan and has written for VICE. She walked in New York Fashion Week and is proud to be an ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Maysoon is currently developing a comedy series with Hazy Mills Productions called If I Cancan.
Georgia Arnold
Georgia Arnold is Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility at Viacom International Media Networks and the Executive Director of MTV Staying Alive Foundation.
Ms. Arnold was instrumental in establishing the MTV Staying Alive Foundation in 2005, and was appointed Executive Director in October 2007. MTV SAF is a global charitable body that provides grants to grassroots, youth-led organisations to set up HIV and AIDS awareness campaigns in their communities, and have supported 207 organizations, totaling over $6million. MTV SAF also produce the multi award-winning MTV Shuga – a 360-degree mass-media HIV prevention edutainment campaign.
- Date
- Wednesday 5 June
- Location
- Plenary Hall, Vancouver Convention Center
- Hours
- 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm PST
- Speakers
- Emi Mahmoud
- Erica Johnson
- OluTimehin Adegbeye
- John Cary
- Rand Jarallah
- Maysoon Zayid
- Georgia Arnold
- Mamarumo Marokane
- Ayanda Makayi
- Tags
- Plenary
The Power of the Arts: Using words, music, design, and more to advance gender equality
Changing perceptions and gender norms is crucial in order to advance gender equality and the status of girls and women in society. The Power of the Arts will showcase how words, entertainment, music, architecture, and more can reshape perceptions in the quest for a more gender equal world, as well as and girls’ and women’s agency. This will be a dynamic session filed with laughter, poetry, and inspiration.
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Opening: Emi Mahmoud, Poet and Goodwill Ambassador
Moderator: Erica Johnson, Journalist, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
Power Talks:
- OluTimehin Adegbeye, Feminist Writer and Speaker
- John Cary, Senior Program Officer, The Audacious Project at TED
- Rand Jarallah, Founder, Randistic
- Maysoon Zayid, Actress, Comedian, Writer, and Disability Advocate
Fire Talks:
- John Cary, Senior Program Officer, The Audacious Project at TED
- Maysoon Zayid, Actress, Comedian, Writer, and Disability Advocate
Closing Live Skit:
- Georgia Arnold, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility, Viacom International Media Networks, and Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundation
- Mamarumo Marokane
- Ayanda Makayi
The Power of Lift: Stepping up to use power for good
Achieving gender equality will take all of us using our power for good. Regardless of age, gender, sexuality, geography, income, or title, each of us has a role to play. To create a gender equal world, it will take elected officials, as well as their…
Gary Barker
Gary Barker, PhD, is a leading global voice in engaging men and boys in advancing gender equality and positive masculinities. He is the CEO and founder of Promundo, which has worked over 20 years in more than 40 countries. Beginning in low-income areas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Promundo’s approaches have been incorporated into ministries of health and education around the world. Promundo is a Global Consortium with members in Brazil, the US, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Portugal. Gary is co-founder of MenCare, a global campaign working in 45 countries to promote men’s involvement as caregivers, and co-founder of MenEngage, a global alliance of more than 700 NGOs. He co-created and leads the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), the largest-ever survey of men’s attitudes and behaviors related to violence, fatherhood, and gender equality. He is a co-author of the 2015 and 2017 State of the World's Fathers reports. He has advised the UN, the World Bank, numerous national governments, and key international foundations and corporations on strategies to engage men and boys in promoting gender equality. In 2017 he was named by Apolitical as one of the 20 most influential people in gender policy around the world. He is an Ashoka Fellow and received the Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices for his work to engage men for gender equality. Gary holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology.
- Organization
- Women Deliver
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is an engaged advocate for gender equality and a mother of three young children. Over the past 15 years, she has been involved with a variety of causes as a speaker and mentor, including causes for teenage self-esteem, women and girls’ rights and freedoms, eating disorders and mental health.
In 2013, Sophie received the UN Women National Committee Canada Recognition Award for her contribution to human rights. She received the 2018 Humanitarians Award from the United Nations Association of New York.
As part of her advocacy, she works as an official spokesperson for Plan Canada’s “Because I am a Girl” initiative and the FitSpirit Foundation. She was named influencer for the Deliver for Good campaign of Women Deliver. Sophie is always looking to deepen the conversation around mental and physical well-being and is now the National ambassador and ally to We Well-being to bring awareness on mental health.
As a mother, Sophie’s outdoorsy and energetic personality translates into regular active family time in nature and practicing a multitude of sports. She was honoured as the 100th member of Nature Canada’s Women for Nature initiative for her support of nature and the outdoors and continues to be committed to sharing her passion for nature with Canadians as Honourary Guide for Families for Parks Canada.
Fully bilingual, Sophie studied Commerce at McGill University, and finished her B.A. in Communications at the Université de Montréal. She completed another degree at the École de radio et de télévision Promédia in Montreal. After her studies, she worked in sales and advertising before becoming a television and radio reporter.
Her intrinsic curiosity and her willingness to explore spirituality motivated Sophie to study hatha yoga and attain her certification. She has also completed her “Radiant Child” kundalini yoga teacher training, a practice specifically for children, and has taught classes on a volunteer basis at a public school close to her home.
Maria Toorpakai Wazir
Maria Toorpakai Wazir hails from South Waziristan, along the Pakistan Afghanistan border. This area is known as the most dangerous place on earth and the birthplace of the Taliban. Due to the centuries old ultra-conservative norms, girls/women have been suffering from the worst of human rights’ conditions. Girls here are bought & sold into marriages at young ages & have no right to decide for their lives but despite these disadvantages, Maria became Pakistan’s top female squash player and turned professional in 2006. She started her journey of rebellion for equal rights at age 4 ⅕ by burning her girly clothes/dresses and cut her hair. She is trailblazer in her native Pakistan, she fought against gender barricades inflicted on her by the so called Islamic & cultural beliefs and posed as a boy using the name Genghis Khan to compete in sports in her younger days. Due to her audacious and outspoken nature, She got death threats from the Taliban in 2007 & so she locked herself in her house for 3 years. She continued to train in her bedroom while sending out thousands of emails around the world to sports academies in order to train & compete with peace of mind. She escaped her country in 2011 to Canada. Her passion for Sports and her quest for Equality & liberty continued. Athletic competition gave Maria her platform to learn about the world and channel her abundant energy in a positive direction, and she hopes to inspire young women to seek empowerment through athletic competition, particularly in conservative cultures through community engagement and mentorship. Coming from violent & war affected area, she truly believes in the power of Sports to combat negativity, extremism and violence. She uses sport as the medium for change.
Regina Honu
Regina is the CEO of Soronko Solutions. She just opened the first coding and human centered design school for children and adults called Soronko Academy. She was just awarded the 2018 AFS Active Global Citizen Award for her contributions to global competence education.
She recently spoke at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and on closing the gender gap in computer science. She also spoke at Brookings Institute in Washington DC on Advancing Female entrepreneurship in Africa. She is an ambassador and mentor for thecamp, first European campus dedicated to emerging technology and social innovation. She is listed as one of BBC 100 most inspirational and innovative women for 2017. She was also recently interviewed by Bishop TD Jakes. She was awarded the 2017 Northwestern University Buffet Institute for Emerging Global Leaders Award and awarded by Coca Cola in the Coca Cola young achievers award as one of the big six and a leader in technology. She was also unveiled as the 2016 Vlisco Brand Ambassador. She won Startup Entrepreneur of the year and Soronko Solutions won Social Start-up of the year for 2016 at the Ghana Startup Awards. She was featured on CNN as one the 12 inspirational women who rock STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). She was named as one of the six women making an impact in Tech in Africa and one of 10 female entrepreneurs to watch in emerging economies. She was awarded Young Entrepreneur of the year by the GPA Awards from Africa 2.0 and JCI Ghana Outstanding Young Person award for scientific and technological advancement. Soronko Solutions was nominated for the editor’s choice award in the Women in IT award in the UK. She was featured on CNN African Voices,CNN African Startups and interviewed by BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle and Aljazeera. She is an Ashoka Fellow, Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow, GOOD Fellow, Global Shaper of the World Economic Forum, Vital Voices Fellow and a Change Leader with Tigo Reach For Change. She belongs to Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa.
Elhadj As Sy
Elhadj As Sy is the Secretary General of the IFRC. He began this leadership role on 1 August, 2014 and is based at the IFRC secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.
Mr. Sy has extensive experience in leadership roles in the humanitarian sector, having previously served at a senior level with UNICEF, UNAIDS, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and other agencies for more than 25 years.
Before joining the IFRC ‐ the world’s largest humanitarian network ‐ Mr. Sy was UNICEF’s Director of Partnerships and Resource Development in New York. He has also served as UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa and Global Emergency Coordinator for the Horn of Africa.
From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Sy was Director, HIV/AIDS Practice with the United Nations Development Programme in New York. Before that, he worked with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as its Africa Regional Director and later as Director of Operational Partnerships and Country Support in Geneva. Mr. Sy has also held the position of UNAIDS Representative in New York and Director of the New York Liaison Office. From 1988 to 1997, he served as Director of Health and Development Programmes with Environment and Development Action in the Third World in Dakar, Senegal.
Mr. Sy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Human Sciences from the University of Dakar. He then pursued Master’s studies in Arts and Germanistik at the University of Graz, and graduated from the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. He was also awarded a post graduate diploma in Education from the Ecole normale superieure in Dakar. He speaks English, French and German and is a national of Senegal.
Wendy Grant-John
Wendy Grant-John is a Senior Aboriginal Advisor at Deloitte. She grew up with cultural values and teachings instilled by her family and surrounding families. Wendy is a member of Musqueam Chief and Council and has spent most of her adult life working for her community as well as representing First Nations across this country in many different forums. Wendy is a recipient of the Order of BC and has two Honourary Doctorates of Law.
Mrs. Grant-John served three terms as Chief of the Musqueam and was the first woman elected Regional Chief to the Assembly of First Nations. As Musqueam Chief, she helped to negotiate one of the first Aboriginal commercial fisheries in Canada. She has previously worked at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada as Associate Regional Director General of British Columbia and has served as a lay bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia and as a Board Member with Canada Lands Company Limited. She has also served as a Commissioner on the Pacific Salmon Commission. She was a founding member and director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and a founder of the Musqueam Weavers. Most recently, Mrs. Grant-John was the official Representative for the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada on the issue of Matrimonial Real Property on Reserve.
Grant-John’s weaving group proved to have a significant impact on her own life. “Those women encouraged me to run politically, and when I was 38 years old, I was first elected chief. Things just grew from there.”
Martín Aguirre
Martín is a journalist and a lawyer, working with the biggest newspaper in Uruguay, El País, where he leads a newsroom of more than 100 professionals. He also commands the digital strategy of the newspaper, and writes a very popular column every Sunday analyzing local politics. Some of his articles of covering different issues, from soccer to international politics, have been published in newspapers such as The Guardian, El Tiempo, from Colombia, or El Mercurio, of Chile. He is also a college professor, where he teaches legal regulation of media and communications, and has been involved in the recent process of modification of the law that regulates media companies. He has studied Spanish literature, Latin American studies, and recently published his first book, “The progressive wave”, about the series of left wing governments that have re shaped South American politics during the last decade. And during 2017-2018 he was a Humphrey Fellow, a program supervised by the State Department of the United States.
- Date
- Wednesday 5 June
- Location
- Plenary Hall, Vancouver Convention Center
- Hours
- 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm PST
- Speakers
- Gary Barker
- Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
- Maria Toorpakai Wazir
- Regina Honu
- Elhadj As Sy
- Wendy Grant-John
- Martín Aguirre
- Tags
- Plenary
The Power of Lift: Stepping up to use power for good
Achieving gender equality will take all of us using our power for good. Regardless of age, gender, sexuality, geography, income, or title, each of us has a role to play. To create a gender equal world, it will take elected officials, as well as their spouses and partners. It will take community activists, lawyers, CEOs, and celebrities. It will take privileged populations and marginalized people pulling up chairs to the same table. The Power of Lift will inspire us through stories and examples of how people use their power to lift and support others.
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Opening: Gary Barker, President and CEO, Promundo US
Moderator: Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Deliver for Good Influencer, Women Deliver
Panel:
- Wendy Grant-John, Councillor, Musqueum Chief and Council and Senior Aboriginal Advisor, Deloitte
- Elhadj As Sy, Secretary General, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
- Regina Honu, CEO, Soronko Solutions
- Martin Aguirre, Journalist, El País Uruguay
- Maria Toorpakai Wazir, Professional Squash Player and Founder/President, Maria Toorpakai Foundation
Delivering for Girls and Women Award Presentation