NZPPD elect new Chair and Deputy
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The New Zealand Parliamentarians' Group on Population and Development (NZPPD) — a cross-party group focused on championing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Pacific — has elected a new Chair and Deputy.
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Catherine Wedd, National MP for Tukituki, was elected as the new Chair on the 20th of March alongside Lemauga Lydia Sosene, Labour MP for Māngere, the new Deputy Chair.
The refreshed leadership for NZPPD brings a vibrant and dynamic energy to the group.
“Chairing NZPPD gives me the opportunity to provide a voice for women and girls on the global stage and to advocate for issues that have driven me to Parliament such as increasing support for parents and improving maternal health. As a mother of four children, including two daughters, I understand the challenges of raising teenage girls in today’s world,” says Catherine Wedd.
“New Zealand has always been an ally for the Pacific, and I will be using this platform to continue to advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights in the region and to support our Pacific neighbours.”
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Pictured left to right: NZPPD Chair Catherine Wedd - National MP for Tukituki, Alicia Sudden - Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa International Programmes Manager, and NZPPD Deputy Chair Lemauga Lydia Sosene, Labour MP for Māngere
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Lemauga Lydia Sosene is eager to use her community service experience in the Pacific as part of NZPPD. “Through NZPPD I will continue building and strengthening the relationships in the Pacific, as we advocate and provide leadership offering solutions dedicated to the challenges the region faces,” says Lemauga Lydia Sosene.
The new NZPPD leadership has started the term strongly. Already there has been a meeting with the Executive Director of the UNFPA, the organisation that provides support for the group. Both members will also represent the group in international forums in April.
As chair for NZPPD, Catherine Wedd will be attending the 2024 International Parliamentarians' Conference on the Implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action in Norway in early April.
“This conference is the only setting specifically crafted to generate global political consensus around sexual and reproductive health and rights to then translate into tangible national outcomes in policy, funding, and accountability. I am pleased to help represent and boost the voices of the Pacific region on this important global stage”, says Catherine Wedd.
This event will be followed by Parliamentarians Meeting on ICPD30: Leaving No One Behind in an Ageing World. Lemauga Lydia Sosene will attend as Deputy Chair of NZPPD in Japan later in April.
“This will be a valuable opportunity to highlight the role of NZPPD and facilitate discussion around the changing demographics in the Pacific region”, says Lemauga Lydia Sosene.
As progress on advancing sexual and reproductive rights continues to face challenges on a global scale, NZPPD’s role as an amplifier and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of the Pacific is even more important in 2024, and the new Chair and Deputy Chair are ready to lead this work.
NZPPD is supported by Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa with funding from UNFPA.