To G8 Leaders: Stand and Deliver for World's Women and Children

A strong message has been sent to G8 leaders this month: it's time to stand and deliver for the world's women and children. And the host country Canada is listening. This year's G8 Summit will focus on the needs of the most impoverished women and children, and it seems like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.

The recent Women Deliver conference had over 3,000 attendees from 146 countries and produced 295 pieces of media. Melinda Gates announced at the conference that The Gates Foundation is committing $1.5 billion to child and maternal health, and the US government has committed to increasing resources for the world's women and children as well.

For far too long, women have been left off the global agenda. So although it seems like this is a time for celebration, caution should be the watch word of the day. Sadly, as the world advances its pledge to women's and children's health care, resources are often taken from other accounts to pay for it. In the US we are already seeing a flat-lining of critical AIDS funding through our PEPFAR account that, in addition to providing life-saving AIDS treatment and HIV prevention services to people throughout the developing world, also supports millions of orphans and vulnerable children worldwide.

What is clear is that the outcomes for maternal and child health are inextricably linked to other social indicators such as the mother's level of education, the fight against HIV/AIDS, gender equity and the rest of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the G8 and G20 deliberate over what commitments will be made to the world's poor, undoubtedly they will be wrapped in this time-bound package of goals.

In September we will have just 5 years left to achieve the MDGs, If we are to achieve these goals, the global community, led by the United States, will need to financially commit to ensuring that all boats rise together. We can't sacrifice AIDS or education funding for an increase in child and maternal health without understanding that we may see a momentary victory only to be followed by still more devastating poverty and death.

Although incredibly well intentioned, it is not enough to vaccinate children against the leading killers of the day like pneumonia, diarrhea and measles only to lose them to AIDS because we failed to provide the social vaccine of a quality education -- one of those key prevention tools we have to halt the spread of the epidemic.

The true power of the MDGs is not in their individuality, but in their wholeness -- if we fail in just one area, we could fail in all. But these goals are not some utopian dream, they are real and they are achievable.

We have everything we need -- the technology, the know-how, and yes, the resources. What we lack is the political will to hold our leaders accountable. And although the G8 and G20 leaders are the ones who will make the promises, it is the political will of the people that will ensure their success. In the words of a true children's champion, former UNICEF Executive Director James Grant, once said, "Each of the great social achievements of recent decades has come about not because of government proclamations, but because people organized, made demands, and made it good politics for governments to respond. It is the political will of the people that makes and sustains the political will of governments."

So as the G8 and G20 proclamations begin to flow, let us call on these great leaders to boldly increase funding to ensure vulnerable mothers and children receive the support they need, while holding them accountable for past promises made to achieve the full breadth of the MDGs by 2015.

And for ourselves, let us all remember that changing the course of history will take more than proclamations and promises. It is going to take all of us, from all countries around the world, to stand up and make it "good politics for governments to respond."

 

Follow Leila Nimatallah on Twitter: www.twitter.com/G_A_C

Comments

[Erin DeRoy]

11:52 AM on 06/25/2010

Wonderful article Leila! It's obvious that you are doing your part in raising awareness about these issues that affect not only children but also their mothers. Hopefully, the G8 Leaders will be inspired to help and together we can come closer to reaching the MDGs. But, as you said, we must be aware of the wholeness of the MDGs. We must stride for advancements in maternal health and education as well as children health and education. These advancements will not just come from proclamations and promises, but from the action and advocacy of constituents, organizations like Global Action for Children, the US government, and the G8 Leaders. Let's make our voices heard!

[AngelLov711]

09:05 AM on 06/25/2010

Great article Leila, The Global Action for Children organization is doing so much to raise awareness of the global HIV epidemic and unfortunately, people consider it an issue too big to tackle in thought or money. But we know it's not! All governments need to be thinking not only about preventative measures, as in investing in maternal health, but considering interventions at the tertiary levels, services and money must reach those already suffering from the AIDS/HIV epidemic. Funding both maternal health and AIDS treatment with equal force and adequate funding will meet the MDG goals- it may sound idealist, but only a positive thinker will accomplish these goals- THINK BIG- GOVERMENT!