Good morning. And thank you everyone for being here – at this early hour.

In September 2014, at the UN General Assembly Special Session on ICPD, I had the pleasure of launching AmplifyChange; a much needed new initiative to boost mainly southern based civil society advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

As member of the ICPD High Level Task Force, I recognise and appreciate the need to strengthen the voice advocating for the rights of all women and girls to be able to decide freely over their own bodies and their lives.

I am only too aware of the significant challenges standing in the way of realising sexual and reproductive health and rights for all; early and forced marriage, female genital mutilation, unsafe abortion, gender based violence, lack of access to skilled birth attendance and lack of access for young people to information and youth-friendly services on issues of sexual and reproductive health, and that’s just to name a few!

During my recent visit to Burkina Faso with the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, I saw that such challenges are undeniable. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world and ranks as one of the countries with the highest rate of inequality.

In Burkino Faso, 1 in 48 women die during pregnancy or while giving birth and although this statistic represents progress – primarily due to improved access to skilled birth attendance - there is still a long way to go to reach the global goal on maternal mortality.  

And there exists a strong will in the country - both politically and from a powerful civil society - to strengthen that progress.

Advocacy is key to addressing these challenges - to shifting long-lasting, cultural and social traditions and to push for positive reform and ensure realisation of the promises made by the international community.  The power of advocacy can help:

• to increase individual awareness of sexual and reproductive health and rights, as human rights
• to ensure access to sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services
• to transform social norms
• and to change policies and laws for the better

Much has happened since the launch of AmplifyChange. In September, last year world leaders adopted the new sustainable development agenda which includes important targets related to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

And although some would argue that the agenda does not go far enough on some vital aspects of sexual and reproductive health and rights,  it is a powerful commitment to achieving a life of dignity for all; on the basis that it includes everyone, without discrimination, and leaves no-one behind. 

Effective advocacy helps shape public and political opinion and supporting civil society to advocate for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights must remain a priority.

And AmplifyChange is playing its part by supporting grass-root organisations who can advocate for change locally and it is amplifying the voices of people where it is most needed.  It is supporting community groups in places where sexual and reproductive health and rights remains most challenged, such as; in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Somaliland, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

AmplifyChange supports the passion, ingenuity and leadership of groups and individuals determined to make a difference, through hard work, new ideas, commitment and perseverance.

Groups like Mifumi, supporting women affected by violence and abuse in Uganda to become citizen journalists using social media; to raise awareness in communities, to build opinion-groups to reject violence, and to advocate for change amongst decision makers.

Or the Gender Studies and Human Rights Centre in Ghana, that use mobile phones to enable girls to call for help when faced with the risk of sexual violence.

Or the Coalition for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion advocating for policies and reform that put the health and rights of women in Malawi high on the agenda.

Or Sujag Sansar in rural Pakistan working in a remote area to challenge perpetrators of child marriage and work with them to discourage child marriage among their peers. 

The work that these groups are doing is not easy or straightforward. By challenging deep rooted practices they are striving to break the cycles of discrimination and violence against women and girls, and fighting to protect their human rights.

Just over a year after the launch of the initiative, AmplifyChange has reached out to over 12,000 civil society groups across 140 countries and received more than 2,300 requests for support.  This clearly shows the need for support, so the civil society movement can use their strength and capabilities to bring about positive change.

So I am thrilled to announce this (very early) morning, the launch of a new grant call that will be open to civil society groups working in Sub-Sahara Africa and South Asia.  This call – for strengthening grants - will support some 50 organisations with 5 million Euros - to strengthen the advocacy efforts of civil society focused on AmplifyChange’s priority themes. 

I look forward to hearing about the results and impact of new and existing projects funded by AmplifyChange.  We must work together to bring about the much needed change to ensure sexual and reproductive health rights are a reality for all, not matter who you are or where you live.

Thank you