WOMEN DELIVER

Many colleagues have worked on Obama’s election and re-election campaigns. Although Obama doesn’t seem to be running for election this month, I’ve secured a brilliant opportunity to work at Marie Stopes International, a registered charity and leading provider of sexual and reproductive healthcare services. One event to which I’ve just been introduced is the international Women Deliver Conference.

Women Deliver is an NGO that aims to reduce maternal mortality and to ensure access to reproductive health for all. Every three years they host a conference which brings together Governments, NGOs, international companies and the media to work towards the safety of women and girls around the world. Sponsors of the conference include the European Commission, the World Bank and the WHO. This year’s key note speaker is Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The conference is able to attract such prominent and well-respected supporters because it has such an important mandate – around 287,000 females die each year from pregnancy-related issues. This translates into 10 million women being lost each generation. Sixty percent of these deaths, however, are concentrated in ten countries: India, Nigeria, the DRC, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Women Deliver and their supporters help to address this problem through family planning services, ensuring access to high quality care for women who are pregnant and giving birth and ensuring access to safe abortions, where legal.

While the results of the conference may not be televised 24/7 on Fox News, I dare say this field of work will have a massive impact on the quality of life of many individuals.