These words come to mind as we reflect over the last week, during which Girls & Football SA participated in the Women Deliver 2013 conference on girls’ and women’s health. It’s been a whirlwind of a week, with presenters, projects and discussions featuring the world’s game changers when it comes to the rights of the girl-child and the rights of women.
An age-old discussion, we still find ourselves fighting for basic respect and consideration for the needs of girls and women when it comes to healthcare; particularly when it comes to maternal health and access to contraceptives. As a leading cause of death for women around the world, we know challenges regarding the aforementioned topics require immediate action if we want to see change.
A variety of sources present statistics that highlight South Africa’s poor development with regard to gender equality and remind us there is a long road ahead. Recent figures show that the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities needs to harshly re-evaluate expenditures and budgetary spending in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals and to create a gender-equal social landscape in the country. As we continue our programming at Girls & Football SA and reach more and more girls and young women, we hope the government will follow suit and put the healthcare needs of 51% of the population on the agenda moving forward.
We want to thank the fantastic team at Women Deliver for the opportunity for Girls & Football SA to be present and part of this important conference, and for all the efforts that have gone into the organization of these crucial conversations.
