Canada to host Women Deliver 2019

Canada is to host the global Women Deliver conference in 2019, bringing together over 6,000 world leaders, influencers, advocates, academics, activists, and journalists from more than 150 countries to Vancouver 3-6 June 2019. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, joined by Women Deliver’s President Katja Iversen, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister […]

Canada is to host the global Women Deliver conference in 2019, bringing together over 6,000 world leaders, influencers, advocates, academics, activists, and journalists from more than 150 countries to Vancouver 3-6 June 2019.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, joined by Women Deliver’s President Katja Iversen, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Status of Women Maryam Monsef, and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Prime Minister Trudeau symbolically made the announcement in front of the ’Women are Persons!’ monument on the grounds of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

“Prioritizing the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women is not optional, but in fact, foundational to drive change and progress for all, and this is reflected in our new feminist foreign policy,” said Trudeau.

“Canada is proud to host the next Women Deliver Conference as a global convener to bring us all further in advancing human rights for women.”

The Women Deliver 2019 Conference – the world’s largest of its kind – will present new knowledge, promote solutions, and serve as a fueling station for accelerating action, including policy changes and investments, for the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women and achieving a more equal world, said the conference organisers in a statement.

“At Women Deliver we believe that evidence, solutions, and action speak the loudest. They are what give hope and spur action to do better for girls and women,” said Iversen.

“Canada is showing strong political leadership for women’s health and rights, and we at Women Deliver are thrilled to have our fifth global convening in Canada, a country that is steadfastly dedicated to promoting gender equality at every turn.”

A movement is growing to establish a Nigerian version, Deliver for Nigeria, after civil society groups and journalists attended the 2016 conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Since then, the conference has funded health and empowerment projects of young leaders, dozens of whom attended from Nigeria, alongside civil society groups and Wellbeing Foundation founder Toyin Saraki.

At least 100,000 participants will join the conference virtuall in 2019.

“Canada’s goal is to empower women and girls in every sense of the term because we know this will ultimately change the world for the better,” said Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.

“That is why our new, and Canada’s first, feminist international assistance policy places the rights of women and girls at its heart.”

“Canada is at the forefront of the global efforts toward gender equality,” said Minister Maryam Monsef.

 “Hosting the Women Deliver Conference enables Canada to convene world leaders and advocate top share promising practices, coordinate our efforts and strengthen the movement for gender equality.”