Last week, we joined UN Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, and partners for the first ever Families +Social Good in London. Celebrities, journalists, nonprofits, NGOs and grassroots activists came together to explore our wishes for every family, everywhere. Here are a few of our highlights from the day.

(L-R): Chrysula Winegar, Alexandra Cairns, and Daphne Metland

‘Health in Your Hands’ panel

We were honored to be a part of the ‘Health in Your Hands’ panel. Our External Affairs Manager, Alexandra Cairns, joined Chrysula Winegar from UN Foundation and Daphne Metland from Baby Center to explore the game changing impact mobile technology is having on the lives of women and girls.

Alex introduced the audience to obstetric fistula, its impact on the lives of women and girls around the world, and shared how mobile money transfer technology has revolutionized access to healthcare for thousands of women since 2009. Women like Ruth have been given the chance for a brighter future thanks to mHealth innovation. Check out a recording of the full panel session here to learn more, and hear Alex share Kupona’s mission and work from minutes 9:32 – 18:06.

Daphne and Alexandra discussing the power of technology to impact women’s health.

Beating the drum for safe surgery

We were so proud of our colleague and friend Dr. Ruben Ayala, Chief Medical Officer of Operation Smile and fellow member of the G4 Alliance, for his passionate plea for compassion and commitment in the fight to increase access to safe surgery across the world. Billions of people do not have access to the quality surgical care they need globally, and every year a lack of access to safe surgery kills more people than malaria, HIV/AIDS and TB combined. Dr. Ruben shared, “We believe that access to safe surgery is an essential component of healthcare and a basic human right.” We couldn’t agree more!

Invest in girls and women, and you can change the world

While the event focused on the entire family unit, it was clear that investments in the health, education, and empowerment of women and girls are the key to strengthening family units and enabling them to thrive. The return on investment in women and girls is huge. As Jamie Drummond, co-founder of the ONE campaign put it, “Not only is it the just thing to do, but it’s the most efficient thing to do.” The power of investing in girls could not have been clearer than in the ‘Propelling Girls Forward’ interview. Sarra Alayan, a Girl Up Teen Advisor, was confident and eloquent on stage as she asked Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO of Plan International, why empowering young girls is so important. As Albrectsen said, we don’t need to look any further than Sarra herself to see what can happen when girls are given opportunities to realize their potential.

Thank you to UN Foundation and Johnson & Johnson for inviting us to participate in this inspiring event, and for giving us the opportunity to share more of our stories with the world!

Eager to hear more from these amazing discussions? Check out all of the online recordings from the day at familiesplussocialgood.org