Oyibo Leads Arieli Foundation Advocacy at the UN Women's Summit

• Arieli Foundation Extends Global Advocacy Outreach at the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
• Dr. Natasha Oyibo represented the organization at the summit
• Global leaders and policymakers collaborated to address key issues affecting women and girls

The Arieli Foundation of Maternal and Child Health has expanded its own advocacy efforts around the world by taking part in the 70th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

Dr. Natasha Oyibo served as the Arieli Foundation representative in the United Nations and contributed greatly towards uniting women leaders, governmental representatives, and international development partners to establish the most pressing problems affecting girls and women around the world.

The most critical issues that were discussed during this session were those related to the necessity to overcome the financial challenges to empower women, enhance the representation of women in the leadership positions, and further accelerate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the United Nations.

Besides this session, Dr. Oyibo was present at a couple of high level meetings with the representatives of the African Union permanent Observer Mission, where the issue of women political participation, as well as the equal access to resources, were brought up.

Moreover, Dr. Oyibo was invited to a high level briefing by the NGO/NGO CSW at the Commission on the Status of Women where she highlighted the significance of working and collaborating as a team and collectively towards female health and empowerment.

According to Dr. Oyibo, the effectiveness of the sessions highly relied on the relationship between the international policies and local realities.

Dr. Oyibo participated in several high-level engagements including strategic discussions at the African Union Permanent Observer Mission, which led to a productive dialogue concerning women’s political participation and the equitable access of women to resources.

Dr. Oyibo also attended an NGO/CSS high-level briefing, which focused on the importance of developing more collaborative and coordinated efforts to improve the health and well-being of women worldwide.

In summarising the outcomes of the Summit, Dr. Oyibo stated that it was critical to link regional realities on the ground to global-level policy frameworks.

“Our work at the community level must continue to inform global strategies, while international commitments must translate into tangible impact for women and children,” she said.

The Arieli Foundation (a national, leading non-profit for advancing equivalent, equitable and quality maternal and child health care through advocacy, outreach & education) is holding its annual Maternal & Child Health Walk this year, which focuses on raising awareness about the needs for women and children to have access to affordable , quality health care.

The Maternal & Child Health Walk will bring together all types of individuals such as health care workers, community leaders, women and families to act as an opportunity to provide voice to local and regional community members’ opinions about the importance of preventive health behaviours, motherhood and protecting children’s lives.

The Foundation also encourages strong collaboration between communities, health care systems, policy-makers and other stakeholders to improve child and maternal health. They encourage all partners and community members to support the program and help reduce deaths of mothers and children in Nigeria.