Lauded for his advocacy, Ban urges renewed pledges to improving lives of women and girls

Speaking at a side event of the 60th UN Comion on the Status of Women in New York, the Secretary-General urged everyone to either make a new commitment to the movement or renew an existing one.

“I hope we have great promises of support – and even stronger action to keep those promises,” . Ban said at ‘The Roadmap to Realizing Rights: Every Woman Every Child’s Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health.’ The event was organized by his Every Woman Every Child office.

More than 40 countries and 120 stakeholders have committed to more than $125 billion over the next five years to carry out the Every Woman Every Child Strategy.

The Strategy, which . Ban launched in 2010 and updated in 2015, aims to end preventable deaths among all women, children and adolescents; to greatly improve their health and well-being; and to bring about the transformative change needed to shape a more prosperous and sustainable future.

At the event, global gender equality advocates Women Deliver presented the first-ever ‘Delivering for Girls and Women’ award to . Ban in recognition of his work and achievements to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide.

Accepting the Award, . Ban said the true champions are “fighting on the frontlines for health rights everyday”.

Also speaking at on Tuesday’s event, the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said that women are crucial to a resilient health system: “Women’s health is a women’s right. Without it, health hangs in the balance.”

Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka also spoke about the health of women and girls expanding to political, social and economic spheres.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe