The World YWCA held its quadrennial World Council in Nairobi, Kenya in July 2007 focusing on “Changing Lives, Changing Communities .”   Running alongside the Council was the International Women's Summit with the theme Women's Leadership, Making a Difference on HIV and AIDS, which included a first of its kind Positive Women's Forum.

Webcasts from the different sessions are available for viewing from the World YWCA website as well as downloads of the speeches given at the Summit including Dr Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organisation and Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The YWCA of Aotearoa NZ sent 9 women from Aotearoa to attend the World Council and International Women's Summit.  They were;

Alison Lewin	Executive Director	Delegation in Nairobi
Gaye Barton	National President
Tania Thomas	Wahine o Wairua Kuia
Season-Mary Downs	Wahine o Wairua Young Women's Representative
Margaret Walden	Young Women's Representative
Irene Feldges	Auckland YWCA Manager
Leigh Hardy	Christchurch YWCA Tutor
Sonya Struginski	Whangarei YWCA Board Member
Virginia Schnauer	Rotorua YWCA President

The YWCA of Aotearoa NZ also helped sponsor Marama Pala Ngati Toa Rangatira, Te Ati Awa to attend the International Women's Summit to present a paper on how to build leadership skills for Women and Girls, positive and non-positive in the HIV&AIDS world. She looked at strengths, strategies and creating opportunities for realistic programs for all players. She also spoke about what it’s been like growing up with the virus, the effects of being a Maori woman and the impact on her whanau, Hapuu and Iwi.  Marama also be attended the Positive Women's Forum.

Margaret Walden was the delegation's Young Women's Representative.  Click here to read an article on her trip.

Season-Mary Downs was the delegation's Wahine o Wairua Young Women's Representative.  Click here to read an article about her trip. 

Season-Mary created a beautiful gift to present to to the YWCA of Kenya on behalf of the YWCA of Aotearoa NZ            

This was an exciting opportunity for all the women who went as it gave them the opportunity to meet some of the women who are part of the wider YWCA community, which reaches more than 25 million women and girls in 125 countries.

Woven throughout the schedule in Nairobi was practical training, education on global priority issues, and a remarkable opportunity to network and share best practices from every region of the world. Some of the events held alongside the World Council and International Women's Summit were an Experience Kenya and Experience Africa Day, a Young Women’s Leadership Forum, and a Positive Womens Forum.

To read about National Director Alison Lewin's experiences at the IWS and World Council as well as her trip around YWCAs in Zimbabwe click here