Sitting with the women under the trees.

News Q: After more than ten years working with the United Nations in Africa, what motivated you to take the position of General Secretary of the World YWCA? A: My work with the United Nations involved both the heavy political space of peace negotiations and the development space. I had great positional power but I felt that I was missing the power of the people, of being able to speak without always worrying about what this or that government thinks. I was looking for space where I could talk about what women want, with my only accountability being to the women. I wanted to sit with the women under the trees and still do global policy work. I've always been passionate about social justice issues. I feel that in my position at YWCA that I can talk to the president of a country and say: " Mr President, I do not like what is happening in this village for these women so can we think about this again together? " Q: What was your reaction to the announcement of the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health and the pledge of US$ 40 billion at the United Nations Leaders' Summit for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2010? A: There is a bundle of indicators and targets that are so pertinent to development but which haven't received the necessary level of political or financial investment. The launch of the Global Strategy was a very important outcome from the MDG Summit. At last, maternal health is starting to attract some attention. Working in a global organization that talks about women and health every day, the question that civil society asked was: " Now that the governments have met, is there going to be action? " There was a lot of excitement about the US$ 40 billion but a pledge is a not a pledge until the words have been translated into imple-mentable action. Q: Do you think that the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health can translate those words into action? A: Yes, I do. The Commission has identified critical indicators and outlined practical outcomes and development tools to help countries to prioritize actions. The composition of the Commission was good as it allowed input from governments at the highest level, experts from different sectors, a good representation from civil society, women's organizations and youth networks. As …