New Zealand Joins Women Political Leaders From Across the Globe to Share Momentum for Change

New Zealand Member of Parliament Hon Louise Upston will join more than 250 women leaders from around the world at the Women Political Leaders Global Summit in Lithuania this week.

“It’s about time! 100 reasons to act” is the theme of this year’s summit in Vilnius, co-hosted by the Parliament of Lithuania, which is celebrating the Centenary of the Restoration of the State and women’s voting rights.

The keynote address ‘It’s about time! Women change the World’ will be given by the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite. The high calibre of speakers include Hillary Clinton and Antonio Guterres (the Secretary-General of the United Nations) Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdottir, and our very own Rt Hon Helen Clark.

How do we ensure that the digital environment is a driver of inclusion, economic development, and social progress? Do the challenges brought by populism represent an opportunity to adapt to new forms of connecting with the population? How can we ensure more equitable access to maternal healthcare? These are just some of the important issues on the agenda during the two-day intensive summit.

The Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Trevor Mallard says it’s helpful that our Parliament has a voice at the annual summit.

“We have made considerable progress in the 125 years since New Zealand women claimed the right to vote. In 2018 we have a female Governor-General, Prime Minister, and Chief Justice, and forty percent of our parliamentarians are women. Hon Louise Upston will take New Zealand’s strong commitment to gender equality to the world stage. She will share her experiences with Parliament when she returns to help us continue to work towards reflecting greater diversity in our Parliament.”

The summit runs from 6-8 June 2018.

ENDS

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