Last month I attended national advocacy meetings with Every Woman’s Nepalese coalition members, led by Indian grande dame of women’s rights Meera Khanna. Looking out at the Himalayas, I realized our campaign for a new global treaty to eradicate violence against women and girls had arrived at its moment of lift.
Multiple world leaders – African Union Chairperson and Democratic Republic of the Congo President Tshisekedi, Organization of American States Secretary General Almagro, and Nigerian President Buhari – recently endorsed our call. In November, we launched a First Draft Treaty, the culmination of eight years of extensive research and consultations with experts across the world. And we also successfully piloted our 1000 Voices Fellowship Program, a cross-regional, peer-to-peer, cohort-based, advanced virtual training initiative for women’s rights activists. Fifty-two participating advocates honed capabilities like how to optimally interface with diplomats and high-level government officials. Meera, a 1000 Voices fellow, applied these skills when she led our meetings in Kathmandu – including with the Nepalese Prime Minister’s office!
Our movement for a new global treaty on violence against women and girls has taken flight. We need your help to continue this momentum. Please click here to donate.
Thank you for being in our corner over the years, and throughout our most exhilarating chapter yet. We cannot wait to see the dizzying, Himalayan-esque heights 2022 takes our campaign to!
