“Her Goals, Her Future”, Sustainable Development Goals

On May 16, over 5,000 people from around the world (leaders, advocates, policymakers, journalists, and researchers) will descend upon Copenhagen for the fourth Women Deliver conference.

In the world of international development, any conference that includes thousands of people, no matter how interesting or important the focus, is likely to receive some degree of criticism –ranging from questions about usefulness, cost, and objectives to outright eye rolling.

But there are times when a conference like this is of critical importance. This is such a time.

Unless the new global goals for sustainable development work for girls and women, they won’t work for anyone.

That’s the message that United Nations leaders, youth advocates, policymakers, journalists, and researchers are affirming this week at the Women Deliver conference. Even if you can’t be in Copenhagen, where the conversation will focus on how to implement the world’s new to-do list to drive progress for girls and women everywhere, you can be part of the global dialogue happening now.

When the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015, we knew that 2016 would be a year for moving from vision to action — and that Women Deliver would be one of its critical moments. As the conference kicks off today, get inspired by visiting “Her Goals: Our Future,” our collection of stories about the connections between girls and women and the global goals.

In 2007, Women Deliver began as a conference about maternal health, but it quickly evolved along with our understanding: If we want real change for girls and women, we need to make sure that they can not only survive, but thrive. By ensuring girls and women everywhere are safe, healthy, educated, and empowered, we can transform communities, nations, and our world.

The global goals are all interconnected, and girls and women are at their heart. Progress for girls and women leads to progress for the world, and this week’s conference could spark the momentum we need to get to work now, in our first year with these new goals.

Warmly from Copenhagen,

Daniela Ligero,
Vice President of Girls and Women Strategy
United Nations Foundation

Why The Women Deliver Conference Matters

Daniela Ligero, the UN Foundation’s Vice President of Girls and Women Strategy, explains why this year’s Women Deliver conference is a critical moment for girls and women around the world. READ MORE