Posted September 30, 200915 yr http://www.hellomagazine.ca/imagenes/news/20090923901/shania/twain/ny/0-2-799/shania-twain-ny-a.jpg From Times Online September 24, 2009 Women step up pressure for maternal health Alexandra Frean in New York They came in their Jimmy Choos, their diamonds and their pearls. But these women meant business. As the (mostly male) leaders of the world's largest economies arrived in the US for the Group of 20 meeting, 300 of the globe's most influential women gathered in New York on Wednesday night determined to help tackle one of the most pressing but least noticed issues holding back global economic recovery: maternal health. The dinner was hosted by Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Wendi Murdoch, wife of Rupert Murdoch, chief executive of News Corporation, owner of The Times, and Indra Nooyi, chief executive of Pepsi. The guest list read like the roll call for the biggest ever girls-only celebrity party. In addition to G20 wives, chief executives and chairwomen, guests included actresses (Nicole Kidman), models (Naomi Campbell), diplomats and politicians, charity workers, writers and the simply well-connected. This was no ordinary party, however. Maternal health is the mother of all economic issues and a key barometer of national well-being. PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi said in a speech. "Throughout the world the greatest unexploited economic resource is the female half of the population." Countries such as China have prospered and achieved economic growth partly by bringing women into the economy, she added. And yet, as Sarah Brown, wife of the British Prime Minister, said in a keynote address, more than half a million women worldwide die each year from pregnancy-related causes, most of them preventable. Millions more suffer injuries and develop lifelong disabilities. Reducing these numbers could bring real economic gains by ensuring that women remained alive to feed, vaccinate, educate and nurture the next generation, as well as make their own economic contribution. Mrs Brown called on world leaders at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh today and tomorrow to put maternal health high on their agenda. This would help to ensure that the United Nations' Millennium Develpoment Goals outlined in 2000, which include reducing maternal deaths by 75 per cent, could be achieved by 2015. The issue had to take centre stage, she said. "We have let so many girls and women down so very badly over so many years." She encouraged the women present to get involved in the White Ribbon campaign for maternal health, using their influence in whatever way they could. She also encouraged tham to make a cash donation to the campaign equivalent to the value of the next item they bought themselves, be it a dress, a car . . . or a house. The dinner was more than just a talking shop. It is part of a continuing campaign and was the fourth dinner of its kind. The first was held in at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2008 to discuss the UN Millennium Development Goals. It became the most talked about event at the forum that year - partly because Bono, Rupert Murdoch and Google's Sergey Brin and Larry Page served the drinks and pudding. The interest and success of these dinners has led to a powerful coalition of women, from Sarah Brown and Carla Sarkozy to leading activists including Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder, Bill. By attending the dinners, First Ladies and ministers from US to Canada to India to Sierra Leone have ensured that their governments have begun to take notice and start taking action. Source Lovely ladies spotlight female mortality rate By CINDY ADAMS September 25, 2009 Jordan's Queen Rania, Wendi Murdoch and Pepsico's CEO Indra Nooyi gave their fourth Important Dinner for Women. Important because it raises awareness and funds to combat the female mortality rate in countries where, said Sarah Brown, wife of Britain's prime minister: "Women are more likely to die giving birth than to go to school. Women are considered zero. A woman's only asset is her body. And each year half a million die in childbirth." In bare back, bare sides, barely there gown came Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. Her necklace featured the letter "B." So who's "B"? "My daughter Bluebell." . . . Maria Bartiromo was wall-to-wall labels. Chanel bag, Manolo spikes, drop-dead gorgeous Valentino coat. "I had to have it. Couldn't resist it," she said. Who knew CNBC paid that well? . . . Helena Christensen's wardrobe for the evening? Silk shorts and sequin flats. Her legs were taller than my entire body. For the 7:30 dinner, Naomi Campbell in a white mini of wool pompoms arrived 8:30: "Listen, to look this good I started dressing at 6 o'clock." Exactly when Rupert Murdoch and his p.r. exec son-in-law Matthew Freud started dressing, I don't know, but both showed in open-collar tieless white shirts. "Hey, we're getting with today's fashions," grinned Rupert, whose wife Wendi was in floor-length strapless gold brocaded Marchesa. Somewhere amid Shania Twain, Bono's wife and 350 other women was Ann Curry, who said: "I'm zonked. So many VIPs in town. I'm running all day. I rarely go out to evenings like this." . . . And Princess Firyal, who said of that headlined lawsuit with the family of the senior gentleman who was her benefactor and lover for years: "They are not only trying to degrade me but him as well. I will not allow them to do that to their father. I will never stop defending his honor." At my table: Vera Wang, Duchess of York, Roberta Flack, Bloomberg's lady Diana Taylor. Vera Wang's rhinestone pants outglittered whatever Lady Gaga's behind might've worn. "They're not mine. I don't always wear my own stuff. They're Givenchy. And I paid retail." Roberta Flack's hair was blond and fluffy. I wondered was it a wig. "Is it yours?" I asked. "Well, I paid for it," she said. Sarah Ferguson the Duchess admitted she might go on QVC: "Tommy Hilfiger has a line of clothes he wants me to work with but so far the deal hasn't been set." Diana Taylor was wearing sleeveless. Nice that she still can. The next table, back to back with me, Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts, who was there because "I'm very interested in women's issues." . . . Nicole, hair long, parted in the middle, went strapless. The rest of her was inside a tighttighttighttight -- forget pencil-slim, think nail-file slim -- black sheath. She laughed when she saw me: "I know you don't think I can actually even sit down in this, but I can. It's by L'Wren Scott, and she made this out of a stretchy pully fabric so it actually gives when you bend." "OK, so sit," I said. So she sat. But I have to tell you the move was made very carefully. "See? It stretches," exclaimed Nicole. Yeah. Easier choreography would have been to mold the chair to her. Tyra Banks: "I'm into fake hair tonight. I wore a ponytail this afternoon, my own hair, but people said I looked too young that way to go to this important dinner, and I had no time to do my own hair, so tonight it's fake." I saw Jessica Alba's place card but never saw Jessica. I saw the wife of the UK's United Nations ambassador, who informed me their soon-due replacement's named Mark Lyall Grant, should this be of interest to anyone. And I saw my tablemate at this dinner last year, Katie Lee. She wore 6-inch giant heels. You could barely walk in them, but she managed to strut the entire red-carpet line of photographers. On my way out, I said to somebody as a gorgeous supermodel floated by: "Wow, Linda Evangelista really looks great," and she replied: "I don't know. That may be. But the woman you were just staring at is Christy Turlington." Hey, listen, you can't win 'em all. Besides, the world's had so much work done, everybody looks alike. Source PICS: http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a339/shania65/4th%20Important%20Dinner%209-23-09/4thimportantdinnernyc092309-3hq.jpg http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a339/shania65/4th%20Important%20Dinner%209-23-09/4thimportantdinnernyc092309-2hq.jpg http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a339/shania65/4th%20Important%20Dinner%209-23-09/4thimportantdinnernyc092309-1hq.jpg Edited September 30, 200915 yr by Rami
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