BackFemale stars launch campaign to aid poor women, girls
Female stars launch campaign to aid poor women, girls
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AFP
Washington: A stellar alliance of women from government, advocacy groups, faith-based organizations and Hollywood have launched a major anti-poverty campaign to help poor women and girls around the world.
The alliance, which has the backing of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Queen Noor of Jordan and former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright has mopped up fundraising commitments to the tune of $1.481 billion at its first summit held at Washington’s National Cathedral.
The Women, Faith and Development Alliance (WFDA) said the large war chest which has been raised so far will cumulatively benefit one billion women and girls living in crushing poverty worldwide.
“Every development expert knows that if you want a country to make progress, they empower women and educate girls. That is the way to tackle poverty," Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, said at the summit opening.
Hundreds of supporters packed into the towering cathedral as the WFDA formally launched a campaign aimed in part at changing the policies of governments and multilateral institutions to help eradicate female poverty.
The alliance is also supported by Laura Bush, wife of US President George W. Bush, former prime minister of Canada, Kim Campbell, and Hollywood actress Ashley Judd.
Female anti-poverty drive gains momentum
WFDA is lobbying governments and international agencies to provide several billion more dollars to support the female anti-poverty drive.
The United Nations Population Fund is one of the biggest backers so far and has made a commitment of $500 million over several years to address maternal mortality and to stop violence against women.
Islamic Relief has pledged $43 million to improve education, basic healthcare and water access for over one million women and girls.
Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, Muslim Women’s Conference and Religions for Peace have also signed up to the broad inter-faith grouping which is being supported by Johnson & Johnson and other groups and corporations.
UN figures show that women represent 70% of the world’s poor, own just 1% of titled land, and make up two-thirds of the world’s illiterate people. Poverty experts estimate there are between 1.0 and 1.2 billion people around the world who exist on less than one dollar a day, many of whom live in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Women’s vulnerabilities much higher in conflict zones
Activists say impoverished women face particular hardships, especially in conflict zones where they are raped and abused, but they say women are often more careful than men with money and better at fostering support networks.
“We are global. We are united. We do not accept that 500,000 women should die each year because of avoidable complications in pregnancy," Albright told the summit. The UN estimates that half a million women die every year due to preventable complications from pregnancy.
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