Congresses >> Congress Summary
17th ICOWHI Congress
Gaborone, Botswana - 2008
Convener(s):
Dr. Naomi Seboni
Dr. Nathabi Phaladze
Dr. Dintle Mogobe
- ICOWHI presented this conference in partnership with the University of Botswana, Department of Nursing Education
- The theme of this congress was "Women’s Health Across the Life Span – The Girl Child: Safety, Health, and Development."
- Health educators, researchers, providers, planners and advocates representing 15 different countries and 17 disciplines were present at this conference. Presentations focused on the policy and legislation of the girl-child, child trafficking, obesity, the mental health and the development of the girl child, children and HIV/AIDs, and genital mutilation.
- A 13 year-old girl-child, Gogontlejang Phaldi, was one of the special keynote speakers of the conference. She gave a powerful speech advocating that all children, not just the girl child, have the right to health, education, and the right to be "seen, recognized and heard."
- President Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana, received the Taylor and Francis Award for his tremendous dedication and commitment to the advancement of global health care issues.
- Her Honorable Justice Unity Dow received the Phyllis Stern Award for her life- long commitment to women’s health.
- ICOWHI launched this three day conference with a powerful pre-conference entitled "Gender-Based Violence and HIV Risk Among Adolescent Girls: International Perspectives on the State of the Science," which focused on the interconnected epidemics of gender-based violence and HIV risk among adolescent girls.