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What Did We Hear?
Summary Report on the
Women Deliver 2019 Conference Listening Tour
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From the Women’s Marches across the globe harnessing a powerful energy, to the #MeToo movement holding the powerful accountable, to youth movements driving legislative and cultural change – the world is currently witnessing a dichotomy of incredible movements for gender equality, along with backlash from some of those who wield power.
Women Deliver embarked on an extensive Listening Tour to better understand the world today for girls and women.
This is what we heard.
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Global Development Trends
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Pervasive inequalities and gender norms are stalling progress. Persistent inequality along the lines of gender, geography, and access to data and technology are stalling progress. Damaging gender norms perpetuate harmful practices like child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and other forms of violence against girls and women.
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Sexual and reproductive health and rights are under threat. The global political climate is precarious, and there is a growing and troubling chilling effect on girls’ and women’s rights in many places. While some recent gains have been made, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including the right to safe abortion, are under threat in many places.
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Safe spaces for girls and women are challenged. In some parts of the world, funding for girls’ and women’s health and rights is dwindling, and political space for CSOs ‒ not least women’s groups – is declining, just as women who speak up publically are trolled, and in the worst cases, killed. These shifts often result in weaker and/or fewer programs for girls and women, or the silencing of women’s groups. This constitutes a major setback for gender equality without a counterbalance.
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There is a groundswell of activism. Despite the negative trends, the world is also witnessing the rise of powerful movements for women’s rights, youth rights, and gender equality. Women- and youth-led action, like the global Women’s Marches, #MeToo, Ni Una Menos, and #BringBackOurGirls, combined with a growing sense of urgency, is contributing to a rise in confidence among those who are working for girls’ and women’s rights.
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Men and boys are key to achieving gender equality. As women-led movements gain momentum, there is a continued and growing acknowledgement that men and boys are crucial to advancing gender equality, shifting gender norms, and fighting extremism. Gender equality is not a “women’s issue,” it is a societal issue and everyone must be involved to reach a more equal world.
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Working across sectors will accelerate progress. Powerful examples prove the model of working across traditional issues and sectors to work in a more integrated fashion. There is a narrative shift towards recognizing the significance of working with new and unusual partners in order to drive progress for girls and women—and development writ large. Collaboration must include governments, the private sector, civil society, and young people all joining together.
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The Listening Tour yielded insight from global, regional, country, and community civil society leaders; policymakers; private sector representatives; women and women’s groups; as well as young people from around the world.
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This undertaking was a first for Women Deliver. We listened to women, men, and girls leading change in rural villages, capital cities, and everywhere in between. We are also grateful to the 1,357 individuals—perhaps including you—who filled out our online survey.
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The Listening Tour was an invaluable learning experience and revealed new insights into how people and organizations are working every day to better the lives of girls and women. It also gave us a wealth of ideas to bring to #WD2019. You can browse the suggested themes, topics, and speakers here.
We will continue to work with experts across the globe to develop the program and identify speakers, creating a robust and dynamic conference. Stay tuned for registration launch in the near future!
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