By Susan Papp, Managing Director of Policy & Advocacy at Women Deliver

On 23 September, member states of the UN will hold a High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), to solidify political commitment to achieve “health for all.” To truly deliver on this promise, gender equality and girls’ and women’s health and rights must be front and center — and Women Deliver and partners have been working toward this goal.

The Alliance for Gender Equality and UHC — co-convened by Women Deliver, the International Women’s Health Coalition, and Women in Global Health, and comprised of more than 107 organizations from over 47 countries — has led a powerful advocacy effort to include a gender-lens to UHC in the High-Level Meeting Political Declaration and beyond. As is too often the case, the political pushback on women’s rights — particularly sexual and reproductive health and rights — has been fierce and unrelenting.

The Alliance rallied together with governments and others to safeguard references to gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights in the final Political Declaration for the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage. Following the High-Level Meeting, Alliance members will continue to call for action at the country level to ensure that the needs of girls and women are meaningfully included in the resulting country plans. Widespread commitment to UHC has the potential to drive monumental progress around the world. Women Deliver will be pushing for UN member states to stand firm and commit to fully fund healthcare systems that are responsive to the needs of girls and women. Follow the conversation at #HealthForAll. 

• Op-Ed by Katja Iversen: A War of Words Fought over Women's Bodies
• Op-Ed by Susan Papp: SRHR puts the ‘universal’ in universal health coverage
• Report: Health is a Political Choice, page 90 
• Key UHC Events: Listed below ↓

By Melissa Garcia, Manager of Deliver for Good Campaign at Women Deliver

The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Summit (24-25 September) will be the first of its kind since the Agenda was adopted back in 2015. Heads of state, along with the private sector and civil society, will review progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and commit to act in the form of a political declaration and plan of action, called “Acceleration Actions.”

We know progress isn’t where it should be. But we also know how to get results – apply a gender lens. Gender equality cuts across all 17 SDGs and is critical to sustainable development. This is the core principle of the Deliver for Good Campaign, a network of over 400 organizations across sectors and issues who are galvanizing political, programmatic, and financial investment in girls and women to accelerate progress on the SDGs.

In that spirit, the Campaign and Women Deliver stand ready to mobilize around the political declaration and keep girls and women at the center of the agenda. 

 Join our digital advocacy efforts with #SDGSummit and #DeliverForGood. 

• Website: SDG Summit
• Political Declaration: Draft to be adopted at the Summit
• Data Tool: SDG Gender Index by Equal Measures 2030
• Website: Deliver for Good Campaign
• Key SDG Events: Listed below ↓

By Zahra Sethna, Director of Communications at IISD & Board Member at Women Deliver Canada

Girls and women are particularly affected by climate change — but they are also innovators and catalysts for action in climate change response. That’s why the Climate Action Summit on 23 September will be an important moment in gender equality efforts. The Summit will focus on nine work tracks, led by countries and supported by international organizations. Gender features prominently under the Social and Political drivers track, a coalition led by Peru and Spain and supported by organizations such as UN Women, WHO, and others. 

The coalition is asking countries to commit to supporting women’s leadership and gender-responsive climate actions by: appointing national focal points, establishing quotas for women’s participation in climate decision-making, and raising awareness of gender issues and climate change. They are also asking for dedicated resources to ensure a gender-responsive Paris Agreement. 

With Greta Thunberg in New York and climate strikes planned around the world, climate is likely to feature heavily beyond Monday’s summit. Gender advocates — this is your time too. Raise your voice with #ClimateAction and #ClimateSummit.

• Blog:  Advocating at the UN Climate Negotiations  
• TIME Article: Women Climate Change Leaders
• Website:  Climate Summit
• Website:  Youth Climate Summit   
• Policy Brief:  Invest in Girls and Women to Tackle Climate Change
• Article: Young people urge climate action
• Key Climate Events: Listed below ↓