FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2025
Contact: press@theiwh.org
“As President & CEO of the Institute for Women’s Health (IWH), I was honored to be invited to participate in the impactful roundtable discussion on the Geneva Consensus Declaration (GCD), held at the United States’ Mission to the United Nations in New York on April 10, 2025. This significant gathering, cohosted by the United States and Hungary (the Secretariat of the GCD), convened representatives from GCD member nations to advance their shared commitment to improving women’s health, strengthening families, protecting national sovereignty, and reaffirming that abortion is not an international human right.
We applaud each nation’s participation where the gathering was marked by palpable momentum from GCD countries.
The Institute for Women’s Health remains a steadfast champion of the GCD. With the Trump administration’s renewed focus on these priorities, and the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio—an avid supporter of the GCD—this discussion inspired innovative policies and strengthened the coalition’s global influence.
As I stated in my remarks, ‘I want to give special thanks to President Trump. The GCD holds special significance to me because under [President Trump’s] first term, I was given the mandate and honor to work with nations to draft, negotiate, and serve as first secretariat to the Geneva Consensus Declaration . . . and now within the first 100 hours of his second term, the US rejoined this historic coalition. Within the first 100 days, he included the GCD in our first national statement [at the UN], and convened today’s gathering as the newest member of the GCD. Thank you for this leadership, Mr. President!’
The event provided a vital platform to explore actionable strategies for operationalizing the GCD’s principles, transforming commitments into tangible outcomes that enhance well-being for women and families.
Despite external efforts to misrepresent the GCD’s mission, this coalition has proven its resilience, growing in membership and impact over the past five years. The Roundtable was a testament to the enduring power of sovereign nations uniting to prioritize women’s health over divisive political agendas. We are grateful for this opportunity to pave the way for a healthier, more empowered future for women and girls worldwide.”
About The Institute for Women’s Health
The Institute for Women’s Health is the only women’s health policy organization of its kind in the U.S. – and possibly anywhere. IWH exists to promote the highest attainable health and wellbeing for women throughout every stage of their lives, and works to tackle the most pressing women’s health issues through honest discourse, targeted action, and empowered alliances. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., IWH engages both domestically and internationally to build coalitions in support of optimal women’s health. IWH works with governments, policymakers, think tanks, academics, health professionals, nongovernmental organizations, faith-based groups, corporations and all who share a common mission to see women thrive everywhere.
