September 21st 2016, New York, NY: Women Deliver and 10 partners launched today the Deliver for Good campaign, a global initiative that applies a gender lens to the Sustainable Development Goals and promotes 12 critical investments in girls and women to power progress for all
“Achieving growth and prosperity for all starts with ensuring equal gender opportunities,” said Kristian Jensen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark. “And that’s why Denmark pledges to support the Deliver for Good campaign—because we know that investing in girls and women is one of the best ways to accelerate global development.”
The Deliver for Good movement will fuel concrete action to address major global issues that disproportionately affect girls and women’s lives. The campaign aims to secure much-needed investment – political, programmatic, and financial – across 12 issues, from sexual and reproductive health to climate change to women’s political and decision-making power. One of the outputs of Deliver for Good will be a stronger, more comprehensive evidence base that fills both gaps in knowledge and data on the impact of investment in girls and women.
“We know that inspiring gender equality and women’s empowerment is a necessary condition for ending poverty, inequality, and achieving a better world for generations to come,” said Dr. David Nabarro, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change. “Innovative campaigns such as Deliver for Good, will help implement the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy and achieve greater political, programmatic, and financial improvements at the community, country, and global levels.”
Investments in girls and women are quite literally investments in families – compared to men, women spend more of their earned income on their families. The impact of these investments extends to entire communities – when 10% more girls go to school, a country’s GDP increases by an average of 3%. Fully closing gender gaps to create a scenario in which women participate in the economy identically to men would add up to $28 trillion in global annual GDP by 2025.
“Girls and women carry more than babies. Or water. They carry families. They carry businesses. They carry potential,” said Katja Iversen, President/CEO of Women Deliver. “The Deliver for Good campaign will drive action toward what we know is true: investing in girls and women unlocks untapped potential, and creates a ripple effect that benefits families, communities and entire nations.”
“For me, one of the things that makes the Deliver for Good campaign unique and inspiring is that rather than focusing on the problems girls and women face – we know them well – it focuses on solutions and benefits,” said Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who spoke at the New York launch event. “It breaks the silo mentality that has dominated global development for decades, and champions collaborative approaches and innovative solutions.”
To date, nearly 200 organizations have signed onto the campaign. The founding partners joining Women Deliver in the launch include: Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), FEMNET (The African Women’s Development and Communications Network), FHI 360, and Global Partnership for Education, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Landesa, Plan International, Population Services International, Scaling Up Nutrition, Every Woman Every Child (EWEC).
Learn more about the Deliver for Good campaign, see the partners and allies, and sign the Commitment to Girls and Women here.
To view the 12 topic area policy briefs, click here. To view infographics, click here.
About Women Deliver: Women Deliver believes that when the world invests in girls and women, everybody wins. As a leading global advocate for girls’ and women’s health, rights, and wellbeing, Women Deliver brings together diverse voices and interests to drive progress, particularly in maternal, sexual and reproductive health and rights. It builds capacity, shares solutions and forges partnerships, together creating coalitions, communication, and action that spark political commitment and investment in girls and women.
