Giving Compass' Take:

• G-7 development leaders had six young women activists from various countries discuss the problems facing women and girls on a global scale.  They each had the time to share their stories and struggles contextualized to their specific country. 

• How will this development meeting start a precedent for women and girls? Will they continue to invite and hear women's concerns at meetings in the future? 

• Read about seven young inspiring female activists to see what the advancement of women looks like. 

G-7 development ministers listened while six young women leaders from around the world made a case for why the global aid community must do more for women and girls, in order to improve the standard of life for half the world’s population and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is the first time such a dialogue has been part of the official program of G-7.

Canadian development minister Marie-Claude Bibeau set this week’s agenda in accordance with Canada’s feminist foreign policy — putting the well-being and rights of women and girls at the center of every foreign policy decision.

She told Devex, that while development ministers are accustomed to being in the field, they are not used to having their beneficiaries sitting at the same conference table. This is why it was vital that the young women came to the ministerial to tell their stories in person, she said.

“They shared their experience. They challenged the ministers. They talked about the importance of education — not looking at education only as being in class, but really everything around it: What does it take for a girl to get to school? And to stay in school? And, to have the opportunity to choose the career she wants and to be empowered.”

The six young women who spoke at a roundtable with development ministers in Whistler were chosen with the help of NGO partners, based on their strong community leadership and active role in advocating for the empowerment of women and girls.

European Commission Director-General for Development and International Cooperation Stefano Manservisi told Devex that “Canada got it right” in focusing the G-7 ministerial on women and girls, which squares with priorities laid out in the SDGs. He said that gender-equal development policies must be implemented if those benchmarks are to be met.

Read the full article about young women activists by  Teresa Welsh  at Devex International Development