Suzanne Ehlers is President of Population Action International. Suzanne has been with PAI for six years, leading the strategic direction of campaigns as Vice President of International Advocacy. Suzanne’s work has focused largely on building and supporting advocacy capacity among indigenous NGOs; strengthening SRH and HIV integration; leveraging new monies for SRH and reproductive health supplies; and innovative approaches to coalition building. She has overseen two of PAI’s largest projects, one to improve access to reproductive health supplies and another to incorporate sexual and reproductive health into Global Fund country proposals. Suzanne sits on the Steering Committee of the Asia Pacific Alliance and chairs the board of the Janelia Family Foundation. She is also an Environmental Leadership Liaison for Rachel's Network, a network of women leaders "dedicated to the stewardship of the earth." Previously, she was Associate Program Officer at the Wallace Global Fund, and before that was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic. Suzanne is an avid traveler and cook. She resides in Washington, DC, with her husband and two daughters.
The London Summit aims to meet the contraceptive needs of 120 million women in the world’s poorest countries. This moment is about women and girls who deserve the opportunity to “have it all,” if you will. I believe we have all the consensus we need on that front.
As we pass the seven billion mark, it’s easy to get caught up in numbers. But the only reason those numbers mean anything is because of the individual lives behind them. In order to make the most of this moment and all those to follow, we need to lead every conversation about numbers with rights.
It’s time for acknowledgement of the world’s best-kept little secret—family planning saves lives, boosts economic growth, and makes for a safer world.
