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The Global Women's Action Network for Children

GWANC^SM Update

Spring 2008

In April 2008 the Global Women's Action Network for Children will participate in the Breakthrough Summit of the Women, Faith and Development Alliance. Co-chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and other world leaders, Breakthrough will serve as a forum for international leaders from faith communities, governments, donors and NGOs to convene and announce new commitments to engender global poverty alleviation efforts. The Summit will also serve as a launching platform for the Women, Faith and Development Alliance's multi-year advocacy and action campaign for increasing investments in women's and girls' empowerment worldwide. Find out more about the Summit and the ways to get engaged.

November 2007

In November 2007, the GWANC Advisory Group met in Bellagio, Italy to discuss in-depth the planned health advocacy campaign to express outrage and catalyze a women’s movement spanning national, regional and international levels to demand action to redress the preventable loss each year of almost 12 million mothers and infants due to pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. The Advisory Group members — internationally recognized women leaders representing diverse professional sectors and geographic regions — provided feedback on the campaign strategy and promotional materials, suggested potential target countries and shared advice to guide implementation of the campaign. They also committed to serve as campaign champions within respective countries and networks. The meeting was supported by the Rockefeller Foundation.

Summer 2007

This summer GWANC is preparing for a meeting of an Advisory Group of the Network which will convene in November 2007 in Bellagio, Italy to review in depth plans for its global maternal, infant and child health advocacy campaign. This campaign will reach and engage the grasstops and grassroots levels and other key stakeholders. The Advisory Group is comprised of internationally recognized women leaders representing various professional disciplines, sectors and geographic areas as well as diverse GWANC partner organizations and alliances.

April 2007

A GWANC team met in Washington DC to advance planning for the global advocacy campaign to be launched later this year under the leadership of Ann Pettifor, Director of Advocacy International, and former director of Jubilee 2000. GWANC’s campaign will focus on the 14.4 million annual deaths globally of women during pregnancy and childbirth, infants and children under five and mobilize increased financing for interventions to significantly reduce this mortality.

March 2007

Global Maternal, Infant and Child Health Advocacy Campaign

At the end of 2007, the Global Women’s Action Network for Children will launch a large global campaign to dramatically raise public awareness about the tragedy of preventable maternal and infant mortality. The campaign will harness their collective commitment and leadership behind this goal: to ensure every pregnant woman and her baby survives and thrives through pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood.

This campaign will mobilize women worldwide, and will encourage them to unite in support of a common aim to save the lives of more than 14 million mothers, infants and children who presently die each year and millions who suffer illness and often long-term disabilities.

Why do we need to do this? Across most of the industrialized world, a woman’s pregnancy can be a period of great joy and elation, culminating in the celebration of a cherished new life. Yet for hundreds of millions of women, particularly those in developing countries, pregnancy can be life-threatening. If women survive the perils of pregnancy they nevertheless face great risks to their mental and physical well-being.  The damage to their health and physical condition after pregnancy can lead to a collapse in social relationships, which in turn can lead to isolation and despair.

Stay updated on the development of GWANC's global maternal, infant and child health campaign—sign up to receive CDF's Monthly eNewsletter.

Download a factsheet on maternal, infant and newborn mortality to share with your friends and colleagues.

Imagining Ourselves Project with the International Museum of Women

In March 2007, GWANC will participate in the launching of a Motherhood exhibit and Mother's Day spring campaign organized through the Imagining Ourselves project of the International Museum of Women. The Gala launch of the campaign on March 8 in San Francisco, California will gather more than 500 prominent members of San Francisco and global communities. The three month on-line exhibit will feature art, writing and media from young women around the world which will include personalized stories on the issues important to women such as maternal health. Please visit the Imagining Ourselves project to participate in discussions on maternal, infant and child health.

 January 2007

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf International Scholarships

In January 2007, the Global Women's Action Network for Children announced establishment of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Scholars Program in honor of Liberia's President — the first woman to be democratically elected to serve as head of State in Africa. This program represents the first major action initiative of the GWANC, coordinated by the Children's Defense Fund in the U.S., since the Network's official launch at a conference in Jordan in June 2006 convened under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah. It is a key step toward attainment of the Network's overarching goal to help developing countries enhance educational opportunities for and empower young women leaders and accelerate reductions in maternal, infant and child mortality.

This new Scholars Program will provide 50 four-year scholarships to promising Liberian female high school graduates to pursue undergraduate studies in selected U.S. colleges and universities. It will be implemented in phases, with the initial class of Scholars to commence preparatory accelerated training in Liberia in the 2008 academic year in anticipation of entering United States colleges and universities in the Fall of 2009. The Scholars will be selected by an international committee comprised of representatives from Liberia, the United States, and GWANC members. All the 50 Scholars are expected to return to Liberia post-graduation, well-qualified to assume a leading role in advancing the reconstruction and economic and social development of Liberia.

Support this initiative and help Liberian women get educated.

 December 2006

In December, the Global Women's Action Network for Children convened in London for a three-day brainstorming session to discuss the organization of a campaign to reduce maternal, newborn, and child mortality.