Women Deliver 2023 Conference in Kigali Rwanda
Rwanda is hosting the largest multi-sectoral gathering to advance gender equality across the world at the Kigali Convention Center. The Women Deliver conference which began on the 17th July, 2023 and will ran till 20th July brought together delegates, participants and key stake holders from across the world as they discuss sustainable solutions on gender equality. The 6th edition of the Women Deliver conference is a substantial and remarkable indicator of the advancement of women empowerment and women’s right in the current times. It is amazing to see the progress and to get to the point of organizing a gathering that brings together participants from different global environments for the sole purpose of addressing gender equality and women rights, a great win for women across the world!
The conference is took place at the Kigali convention center in Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills. The convention center is located about six kilometers west of Kigali international airport and is a world class center with ample parking space, state of the art buildings and has a seating capacity of 2600 making it the best center to host the Women Deliver Conference 2023.
Delegates and Organizations that attended The Women Deliver Conference
The conference was attended by a number of delegates, participants, feminist organizations, women’s rights advocates, leaders, diplomats and press. The delegates included Sima Sami Bahous the executive director of UN Women, Stephanie Copus Campbell, The Australian Ambassador for Gender Equality, Ambassador-at-Large Geeta Rao Gupta, Maliha Khan the president and CEO of Women Deliver, Stacey Yvonne Abrams who is an activist and politician, Clare Akamanzi the CEO of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Malala Yousafzai the 2014 Nobel Prize Laureate and co-founder Malala Fund, Vanessa Nakate a climate change activist from Uganda, among other women leaders and gender equality champions.
The Women Deliver Conference also brought together organizations from cross the world which included Nobel Women an initiative united to increase the power and visibility of women’s groups working globally for peace, justice and equality, The Hilton Foundation which provides funding to non-profit organizations working to improve the lives of individuals experiencing poverty and disadvantage throughout the world, World Vision MEERO is also represented at the Women Deliver conference, Plan Global, Rwanda Development Board, Nyamirambo women center, GIZ Rwanda and many other ground breaking organizations.
What the Women Deliver Conference means for women across the world
The Women Deliver conference is an initiative that deserves to be celebrated by women across the world. The conference is an indicator of the great work that women leaders from different parts of the world have done and continue to do in advocating for women’s rights and women empowerment. For the girl child, this conference is an indicator that her voice is being heard, that she is being listened to and that her pain is recognized. It also gives the girl child hope that the future will be different, that there is hope for her to live in a world where her intelligence, work and voice is recognized, appreciated and paid for. This Women Deliver conference also means that the work is still ongoing, the fight to advocate for women’s rights is still ongoing and that we should all get on board to advocate for gender equality and foster solidarity for sustainable solutions on gender equality.
Pre-Conferences and what was discussed at the Women Deliver Conference
The Women Deliver conference that took place at the Kigali Convention center had a number of pre-conferences on 16th and 17th July 2023 that looked at issues to do with gender equality and women empowerment. A number of these pre-conferences were held with key speakers and participants having engaging panels and discussions on women’s rights and gender diversity.
The pre-conferences included the pre-conference event to end FGM/C hosted by the Orchid Project and the main discussion was on global action steps that can be taken to end FGM/C. The opening remarks for this pre-conference was by the End FGM European Network.
The Girls Deliver pre-conference on adolescent girls at the Women Deliver conference involved key discussions on centering adolescent girls. Maliha Khan the president and Chief Executive Officer of Women Deliver during this pre-conference spoke on the importance of centering girls in gender equality advocacy, she did this alongside other powerful feminist advocates who were also a part of the panel.
The Women Deliver conference also had a pre-conference on Gender and climate justice that saw the powerful climate change activist and UNICEF Good will Ambassador, Vanessa Nakate discuss gender equality in relation to climate change. Vanessa said “The climate crisis and gender inequality together cut across every part of a girl’s life, from nutrition, to education, to unpaid domestic work like collecting water and childcare. As a climate activist, I want to tell you that there is no climate justice, without gender justice.”
The Women Deliver conference 2023 officially kicked off on 17th July 2023 and had quite a number of women leaders, delegates, and participants lined up to discuss the important topic of gender equality and sustainable solutions to advocate for women across the continent.
Things to do while in Kigali Rwanda for the Women Deliver Conference
Rwanda is a great destination for adventure as it offers opportunities to do gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, wildlife game viewing and the famous Nyungwe forest canopy walk.
While at the conference you can look at ways to experience Rwanda after the conference before you head out for you return flight back home.
You can consider going on a 1 Day Akagera national park Safari that takes you to this great national park located in Eastern Rwanda and offers exceptional game viewing of the Big Five. This is a short yet fulfilling day trip and our driver guide picks you up from your hotel in the morning and you are back to the hotel by evening. Alternatively you can do the 1 Day Kigali City Tour that takes you to the main historical landmarks and centers of the vibrant Kigali city.
If you have more than one day before your flight after the conference you can do a 2 days Chimpanzee trekking that takes you to Nyungwe Forest national park, one of Rwanda’s finest national parks. This tour brings you closer to the chimpanzees, very active and known as man’s closest relatives. Alternatively you can opt for the 2 days Akagera national park wildlife tour where you spend the night at a beautiful lodge in Akagera national park. A perfect way to end your stay in Rwanda!
