Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder
Aspen Institute
Blog Posts
Aspen Institute Global Reproductive Health Councilor Becomes President of Malawi
April 12, 2012
On April 7th, Joyce Banda, a founding member of The Aspen Institute’s Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health (GLC), was sworn in as the first female president of Malawi. President Banda – a dedicated advocate for women’s empowerment – is only the second woman to serve as head-of-state in Africa, joining fellow GLC member President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia.
President Banda spoke passionately at a September 2011 GLC event about her personal story and motivation for working to achieve universal access to reproductive health care.
The Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health is a group of sixteen sitting and former heads of state, high-level policymakers and other leaders committed to advancing reproductive health for lasting development and prosperity. Chaired by former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, these leaders work to mobilize the political will and financial resources necessary to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015 – a key target of the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Follow the Council activity and updates on Twitter at @GLCRHresolve, and join the conversation using #whywecare.
