This initiative seems to me that it might actually come out with more tangible results than the meeting costing several orders of magnitude more money.
She's a delegate from Turkey, poised, educated and attending an international summit in Toronto, but what this 18-year-old has to say may rival the words of the G20 bigwigs.
"Even though I hope with all my heart that the real G20 will also seek to have real solutions, I still think maybe us 20 girls, making changes in our own communities, will also make a similar impact," said Irem Tumer, shrugging as she spoke plaintively.
The mostly male world leaders will descend on Toronto for the G20 summit next week. But Tumer and 20 other young women from around the world have been tossing around their own ideas, discussing global policy and offering a voice for 3.3 billion women worldwide.
Tumer and the others — one representing the African Union and 20 mirroring the role of G20 delegates — began Day 1 of the G(irls) 20 summit in Toronto on Wednesday.
The summit is the brainchild of Belinda Stronach, a former MP and now executive vice-chairman of Magna International Inc.
Stronach challenged the girls to become a voice for women in the international community as she spoke to the crowded room at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto.
"Girls have to recognize the value that they can contribute. We have to change the mindset of boys and men so they value girls worldwide," said Stronach.
Panellists, some shedding tears, spoke about violence, poverty and lack of education — all identified as barriers to a woman's success.
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