The 2013 Women Deliver is expected to be the largest global meeting of the decade to focus on the health and well-being of girls and women. The conference aims to ensure that investment in girls and women remains a global priority in the lead-up to the 2015 Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline and beyond.

Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director of the Population Foundation of India, said countries across Asia had made tremendous strides toward expanding access to family planning and reducing maternal mortality in recent years.

Much work remained around maternal morbidity, quality of care and reaching the last mile, however, she said.

'Some women die during pregnancy and childbirth, while for other women, life is a living death experience,' said Muttreja said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Mu Sochua, a member of parliament in Cambodia, said addressing women's health and empowerment was about human rights and women's lives.

"Now is the time for us to deliver on promises we've made to girls and women around the world. We must stand with, fight for and move forward with women,' said Sochua.

The conference will address a number of girls and women-related key issues, including leadership, health, violence against women and education.

Some speakers in the conference include Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Babatunde Osotimehin; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) administrator Helen Clark; William J.Clinton Foundation's board member Chelsea Clinton; and Melinda Gates, the co-chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (ebf)

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