Devex: What it means to create a ‘women’s health development army’
Tedros Adhanom, minister of foreign affairs and former minister of health for Ethiopia

“…We will achieve a better future for girls and women if we make them the center of our actions and decisions. … In order to realize success, governments need to listen to the communities, invest in their needs, and include them in decision-making, all the while collaborating with a range of global partners. Smart investments in training, infrastructure, and health service expansion are catalyzed by outside support — but they should be determined by each country. In this context, I cannot stress enough the importance of empowering girls and women. … They have a right to healthy childhoods, safe pregnancies, quality educations, and equal opportunity to employment. And when investments are made in girls and women, all of global society stands to benefit. … I also witnessed this fact through the three million women volunteers whom we empowered as a health development army to transform their society. Each and every woman has her own unique story of change, story of empowerment and story of transformation not only in health but also in education, nutrition, and development…” (6/2).