Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the CARE 2010 National Conference here in Washington, DC. It was an action packed two days of learning and then applying that knowledge on Capitol Hill as hundreds of us descended on the halls of congress for a lobby day to advocate for the world’s poorest people.
One of my favorite parts of the conference was when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave the keynote address to the group. Secretary Clinton discussed the importance of development as part of our foreign policy, and noted that a sound foreign policy focuses on the three D’s: defense, diplomacy and development. Secretary Clinton stated that, “We believe by creating conditions that families and communities can thrive we can promote stability, opportunity and progress far beyond one community or even one country.” For me it’s really exciting that the Secretary of State has prioritized development and recognizes the links it has to our overall work around the world.
Check it out:
Secretary Clinton wasn’t the only person at the conference with experience as a first lady either. The first ladies of Mozambique, Sierra Leone and the wife of the Prime Minister of Kenya all participated in the conference as well. Women are agents of change and these first ladies are using their influence to push for advances in maternal health, women’s empowerment and girls’ education in their countries.
Overall I had an amazing experience at the CARE Conference and am reminded not only of the importance of fighting extreme poverty but also that there are so many other like-minded folks across the country working for the world’s poorest people.
Last week I blogged about a big announcement from the State Department outlining a new $30 million commitment to combating gender-based violence through PEPFAR. Over at State’s DipNote blog, US Global AIDS Ambassador Eric Goosby has a bit more background on the need to address gender-based violence and how this funding will do that.
He explains:
As a key component of President Obama’s Global Health Initiative (GHI), which explicitly embraces a woman- and girl-centered approach to health issues, PEPFAR is working to reaffirm and expand its focus on women and girls in the context of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care. This $30 million initiative is one way that we are doing so.
PEPFAR’s increased GBV response will build upon the existing PEPFAR platforms in these three countries, working to increase the reach, coordination, and efficacy of GBV programs. Our hope is that this initiative will move us closer to our goal of sustainable GBV responses by moving small, pilot projects to tailored, coordinated and integrated national responses.
To ensure this, we will strengthen our current partnerships with governments, non-governmental organizations and civil society in Mozambique, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as other countries in which we work. We will also support comprehensive GBV response packages for victims of violence at health facilities, increase GBV prevention programs to address the underlying causes of violence, and improve linkages with other sectors and addressing policy and address structural barriers. PEPFAR will partner with countries and build synergies both across U.S. Government agencies and other partners that focus on GBV-related development issues, such as education, reproductive health, democracy and governance, and economic growth. As we move to expand the reach of programs to fight gender-based violence, we will strengthen our monitoring and evaluation efforts to ensure that interventions implemented are effective and contribute to the broader global effort.
Here’s a partner post from our friends at Save the Children about Moms Rule!, a new project launched just in time for Mother’s Day.
My mom is a dynamic woman who is spending her retirement years traveling, golfing and herding my father. She always reminded me of Rosalind Russell at her ‘My Girl Friday’ best. She was a working mother when it wasn’t common, thanks in large part to the support of her own mom. Then when my Gran fell and broke her hip, mom left work to care for her. Now in her 70s, she still wears her leather pants as she hits the auctions looking for great deals. I think my mom rules!
I doubt I’m alone. We likely all think our moms are pretty special and we appreciate their sacrifices and their support. This Mother’s Day, there’s a way to not only honor your own mother (or a special woman in your life), but to also help moms around the world.
At www.momsrule.org, send an e-card to your mom, grandma, sister, friend and thank her for all her love, support and sacrifice. You can also upload a picture and include a short comment or story to the ‘Momsaic,’ an online photo mosaic comprised of pictures of mothers and caregivers from around the world.
To further honor your mom and moms across the globe, you can also send an email to Prime Minister Harper or President Obama, urging them to make a commitment towards long-term funding that will help improve the health of mothers and children in some of the world’s poorest countries. Each year, nearly 9 million children under age 5 die from preventable causes and more than 340,000 mothers die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. This doesn’t have to be the case.
I can’t wait to upload a picture of my mom and her leather pants. I will send her the e-card to thank her for being such a great mom. I know that she will be thrilled that in her name, an email will be sent to Prime Minister Harper about the maternal newborn and child health initiative.
Progress is being made to save these women and children, and when they survive, they contribute to a stronger, safer, more prosperous world. Our moms help us grow and learn to shape our own destinies. By honoring them, we can help moms around the world do the same for their own children.
-Cicely McWilliam, EVERY ONE Campaign Coordinator, Save the Children Canada
This morning, folks tuning in to the TODAY show probably caught a short segment where hosts Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira presented their “Six Words on Why Moms Matter”– as well as some of their colleagues’. As you know, ONE and SMITH Magazine have partnered to collect thousands of these Six-Word Memoirs, giving ONE members a chance to submit their own 6 words and share with their moms or important women in their lives.
Check out the clip from this morning’s TODAY show below, and submit your own “Six Words on Why Moms Matter” here!
Check out this blog post from Malaak Compton Rock, founder of the Angel Rock Project, author of “If It Takes A Village: Build One”, and wife of Chris Rock– which is currently featured at the Huffington Post right now:
“Mothers raise daughters, sons, the village,” is my memoir that I contributed to the anti-poverty group ONE’s new project, Six Words on Why Moms Matter, launched by Women ONE2ONE and Smith Magazine to give people a platform to honor their mom in different way for Mother’s Day, but also aims to raise awareness of the importance of mothers and the struggles many are facing every day, including those living in extreme poverty around the world.
In America, we celebrate mothers for not only bringing us into the world but for those random acts of motherly love – whether it’s a note in your school lunch box, a favorite meal, or a phone call just when you need to hear her voice.
Around the world though, many mothers don’t have food for their children or access to a trained health worker which contributes to the estimated 350,000 women who die every year from complications during childbirth. A mother’s presence is especially critical in the first months of her child’s life; children who lose their mothers are five times more likely to die in infancy than those who do not.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
In Africa, women are the backbone of their communities, growing 80% of the food, using microfinance to start small businesses, and getting their children vaccinated against deadly diseases They are the lynchpin to ending hunger, preventing disease, and changing the status quo – but they need our support and our voices to encourage world leaders to make women a part of the solution. As the prolific Chinese proverb says “Women lift up half the sky.” Let’s honor our mothers on Mother’s Day by helping women in the developing world lift up the other half.
My six words came from my time spent in Africa through UNICEF and my own organization, The Angelrock Project. There I have seen the critical role of women who bear children and raise families under conditions of extreme poverty that are unimaginable to most of us. Like our own moms, these women are — and with our support will continue to be – the catalysts for better lives for their children and increased prosperity in their communities. And I truly believe that when you uplift a woman, you also uplift her family, her community, and indeed the world.
Launched in March, Women ONE2ONE is a new campaign from ONE about the power of women to connect, go beyond and take action to help empower women and families in the poorest parts of the world. With Mother’s Day approaching, I encourage you, in addition to flowers and a card, to write your own memoir and share it with your family and friends as we recognize women around the world for all that they do – and all that they can do with a little bit of help. It really does take a village. Join us.
When Nassaka Maria Kasujja noticed a need for schools in her community of Kampala, Uganda, the widowed mother of two decided to take action.
To help build a local primary school, Maria took out her first $101 loan from Opportunity International. Today (four loans later), that school teaches 500 students.
But that’s not all. Maria now runs a catering business and a poultry farm that raises 400 chicks. She’s built a house for her children—and she’s been able to send them both to school. Maria’s hard work and dedication is ensuring brighter futures not only for her two children, but for all the children in her community.
I met Maria on my first trip to Uganda. Her hard work and success is an inspiration to me, and hopefully to mothers everywhere who struggle to provide for their families and to lift themselves out of poverty.
I encourage you to take just a few moments and be inspired by the tributes posted on the Global Opportunity Quilt, honoring mothers like Maria and many more significant women who have shaped our lives. Help us build the Global Opportunity Quilt and help a mother in the developing world work her way out of poverty. Your contribution will touch one mother’s heart and change another woman’s life this Mother’s Day.
-Ruth-Anne Renaud, The Women’s Opportunity Network, Opportunity International
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My mom is a dynamic woman who is spending her retirement years traveling, golfing and herding my father. She always reminded me of Rosalind Russell at her ‘My Girl Friday’ best. She was a working mother when it wasn’t common, thanks in large part to the support of her own mom. Then when my Gran fell and broke her hip, mom left work to care for her. Now in her 70s, she still wears her leather pants as she hits the auctions looking for great deals. I think my 
When Nassaka Maria Kasujja noticed a need for schools in her community of Kampala, Uganda, the widowed mother of two decided to take action.
