Washington, DC - The National Democratic Institute (NDI) will be a leading participant in this year’s Women Deliver 2019 Global Conference. The Conference, from June 3-6 in Vancouver, Canada, will host more than 7,000 world leaders, influencers, advocates, academics, activists, youth and journalists from over 160 countries - making it the largest conference on gender equality and women’s rights this year.

Ambassador Derek Mitchell, NDI’s President, noted: “The Women Deliver theme of ‘Power. Progress. Change.’captures this particular moment of opportunity for women’s leadership in renewing democracy across the globe. From NDI’s experience, failing to invest in, and empower girls and women politically will limit progress on social justice, equitable growth and sustainable peace around the world.”

NDI’s participation at Women Deliver is focused on finding solutions to the barriers that prevent the full political empowerment of girls and women around the world. With its partners, Women Political Leaders and Plan International, NDI has organized two sessions - one focused on young women, and the other on women in post-conflict societies. Each session will be facilitated by a diverse group of leaders from across the globe who are committed to gender equality. NDI will also present its winning digital poster on stopping online violence against women at the Conference’s Digital Poster showcase.

NDI’s Gender, Women and Democracy Director, Sandra Pepera said: “We’re very excited to be part of the global movement for women’s rights. If our answer to the question ‘Do you want to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment?’ is,‘Yes’, then all of us who believe in inclusive and resilient democracy must stand up and be counted.”

NDI’s first session, “Who will run this world?” on Tuesday, June 4, focuses on the importance of empowering girls and young women to be leaders now. Special guest facilitators include: The Rt. Hon Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand; Senator Sylvia Kasanga, Parliament of Kenya; Anna Gainey, former President of the Liberal Party of Canada; Adriana Guadalupe Uex Gonzalez, Plan International Global Youth Influencer, Mexico; Razan, Plan International Global Youth Influencer, Sudan; and Melissa Richard, Vice President, Running Start. The second session “No Women, No Peace” on Thursday, June 6, hones in on the importance of women’s political participation in post-conflict environments.  Facilitators for this session include: Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security; Hon. Ambassador Ellen Attoh-Wreh MP, Liberia; Mariana Casij Pena, Junior Associate, Institute for Integrated Transitions, Colombia; and Alain Deletroz, Director General, Geneva Call.

As a member of the Deliver for Good (DfG) Advocacy Campaign, NDI has played a strategic role in supporting DfG’s campaign goal: to achieve all the Sustainable Development Goals with gender equality. For 35 years, NDI has been a leading global voice for strengthening women’s political participation and eliminating barriers to their equal and active political involvement. NDI’s focus on women’s political empowerment comes from the belief that democratic resilience requires that political systems and processes take account of the voice and participation of all. By supporting and actively engaging with transformative global platforms, such as Women Deliver, NDI continues to work with its partners to help achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment in politics.

To learn more about NDI’s events at Women Deliver 2019, follow @NDIWomen on Twitter and daily updates with the hashtag #NDIWD2019.

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