Planned Parenthood Federation of America Congratulates Michelle Bachelet, First Head of UN Women
For Immediate Release: Jan. 30, 2014
Planned Parenthood congratulates former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on her new role as head of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, better known as UN Women, and applauds UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on this appointment.
As the first woman president of Chile, a physician and former minister of health, Dr. Bachelet is uniquely qualified to lead UN Women — an initiative to coordinate and augment ongoing efforts to advance women’s rights and empowerment across UN agencies. While serving as minister of health and then president, Dr. Bachelet stood strong on issues of sexual and reproductive health. Notably, she signed into law new legislation calling for free distribution of emergency contraception.
“By selecting a leader of Dr. Bachelet’s caliber, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sends a clear message to the global community that women’s rights and equality will be considered at the highest level of deliberation on international human rights,” said Mary-Jane Wagle, Planned Parenthood Federation of America vice president for international programs. “Planned Parenthood and our international partners look forward to working with Dr. Bachelet and UN Women to improve the health and rights of women and girls around the world, starting in the places where they are most marginalized.”
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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 700 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.