Opening Plenary Session
World YWCA General Secretary’s Address
July 5, 2007 - Nairobi, Kenya
By Dr Musimbi Kanyoro

Your Excellency, President Mwai Kibaki, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: it is my privilege as the General Secretary of the World YWCA to acknowledge and thank everyone who has come to grace the opening of the International Women’s Summit on Women’s Leadership on HIV and AIDS. This event is convened by the World YWCA together with the International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS and other partners.

Your Excellencies, please allow me to recognise the President and Chair of the Board of the World YWCA, Ms. Monica Zetzsche, the representative of the International Community of Women Living with HIV and AIDS (ICW), Ms. Marie-Jo Vazquez, the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Margaret Chan, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Dr. Asha Rose Migiro, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr. Peter Piot, the President and CEO of CARE USA, Dr. Helene Gayle, the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Hon. Dr. Mohammed Kuti and the Assistant Minister of Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services of the Republic of Kenya, Honourable Mrs. Alicen Chelaite. I would also like to acknowledge the presence of His Grace, Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi who led us in the opening prayer.

Your Excellencies, this room is full of dignitaries. First I would like to acknowledge the World YWCA Board and delegates representing member associations from 125 countries. Also present here are our friends and partners from organisations of women living with HIV and AIDS, community, national, regional and international NGOs, representatives from governments, faith-based organisations, foundations, businesses, multilateral organisations and United Nations agencies. There are more than 60 partner organisations who are offering workshops, more than 70 international and Nairobi-based organisations working together to organise 6 town halls and more than a hundred organisations and individuals who have been involved in the awards process, the Call to Action as well as those who have offered their expertise and invaluable advise in every step of the way.

Your Excellencies, we have come to Nairobi because we want to make a difference in our lives and in our communities. The purpose of the International Women’s Summit is to empower, celebrate and contribute to the building of new visions for women’s leadership in the context of HIV and AIDS. By taking leadership into our hands and uniting in strength we can lead the change we wish to see in our world. We do so because we care about our families, our communities and ourselves. The Summit began yesterday with a one day forum exclusively for women who are HIV positive. By organising the Forum we wanted to affirm that the response to HIV will not be effective without the leadership of positive women.

In the YWCA movement we know that one woman can bring change to a family and many women together will bring change to humanity. We believe in women’s unique ability to transform communities and societies. We believe in the power of girls and young women, mothers and grandmothers and women of every generation. Our task in this conference is to mobilize the collective power of women to reverse the direction of the AIDS pandemic globally. Our goal is that everyone attending this Summit will make a personal pledge to act and act now to make a difference.

And now I have the pleasure of presenting to you the World YWCA President, Ms. Monica Zetzsche. Ms Zetzsche is an engineer who runs her own business in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has served on the Board for 12 years, four of which as President and Chair of the Board.