June 28, 2023—Population Council experts and our partners at Women Deliver (WD2023) in Kigali, Rwanda will share how we can collectively build evidence-based solutions to achieve gender equality and equity. The Council will lead the Girls Deliver: Pre-Conference on Adolescent Girls and key high-profile events on the sidelines of WD2030 to advance global discourse of the linkages between gender equality with pressing issues such as adolescents, education, and climate.
“The Council is thrilled to collaborate with youth, global activist, feminist, political, and research leaders to cultivate an ecosystem of how to drive progress for adolescent girls, women, and gender minority groups as they face the converging 21st century challenges of rising social inequality, the climate crisis, and the adverse impacts from the pandemic,” said Thoai Ngo, Vice President of Social and Behavioral Science Research.
Cohosted by Population Council’s GIRL Center, the “Girls Deliver: Pre-Conference on Adolescent Girls” will take place on July 16. This one-day convening will be dedicated to multi-sectoral conversations centering perspectives of adolescents and global majority partners. Girls Deliver will feature acclaimed champions for youth, including Vanessa Nakate, climate justice activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and Stacey Abrams, politician, activist, and author. Girls Deliver will cultivate interest and commitment to co-creating next steps to build an integrated feminist ecosystem for young people and catalyze action to advance gender equality.
On July 17, the Population Council, in partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), will host a parallel session, “Creating Radical Possibilities for Girls’ Education and Civic Participation.” Featuring Stacey Abrams and Minister David Moinina Sengeh, alongside government leaders, activists, donors, and implementers, this session will explore the powerful role of education in fostering robust democracy, civic participation, and political leadership. The event will take place in-person with a livestream option.
On July 20, the Population Council, UNICEF, and Women Deliver will hold a concurrent session on, “Growing Up in an Uncertain World: Adolescents and the Climate Crisis in LMICs,” that explores the impact of the climate crisis and its gendered dimensions for adolescents. Youth activists will discuss recommendations for addressing the climate crisis, including adolescent-led solutions, and how to engage and hold duty-bearers accountable to current government commitments to the climate response.
Guest Speakers
Stacey Abrams, Politician, Activist, Author
David Moinina Sengeh, Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and Chief Innovation Officer, Sierra Leone
Vanessa Nakate, Climate Activist
Karla Rax, Program Coordinator, Na’Leb’ ak, Guatemala
Torbjörn Pettersson, Assistant Director General and Head of the Department for International Organisations and Policy Support, SIDA
Our Staff
Julia Bunting, President
Thoai Ngo, Vice President, Social and Behavorial Science Research
Karen Austrian, Director, GIRL Center
Nicole Haberland, Senior Associate
Fatima Zahra, GIRL Center Associate
Dennis Matanda, Senior Program Officer
Emily Cho, Research and Communications Uptake Coordinator
Gloria Seruwagi, Research Uptake Manager, Baobab RPC
Yusuf Nuhu, Advocacy, Accountability & Partnerships Manager, FP2030
Adebola Adedimeji, Country Director, Nigeria
Council experts will also be featured in important panel discussions, concurrent sessions, and side events. More to be announced and for more information on all Council presence at WD2030, visit our event page: https://popcouncil.org/event/women-deliver-2023-conference/
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About the Population Council
The Population Council is a leading research organization dedicated to building an equitable and sustainable world that enhances the health and well-being of current and future generations. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, we work with our partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization governed by an international board of trustees. Learn more at www.popcouncil.org.