PMNCH welcomes its Board Vice Chair under 30, Aditi Sivakumar

PMNCH is pleased to announce that Aditi Sivakumar, Founder of My Empowerment Platform, has been appointed by PMNCH Board Chair, Rt Hon Helen Clark, as the Board Vice Chair under 30.

Aditi is a medical student, philanthropist, women’s and youth’s rights advocate and a champion for elevating the voices of underserved communities. In 2018, she founded My Empowerment Platform, a national organization that provides aid and education to women and children facing violence in Canada and beyond. As a youth leader, Aditi was selected as a National Youth for the 63rd, and 64th Commission on the Status of Women. She was also appointed as a She Decides 25x25 Young Leader, 2020 Women Deliver Young Leader and Director for Gender and Entrepreneurship for the Commonwealth Youth Council.

"I very much look forward to working with Aditi, especially in the lead up to the Global Forum for Adolescents where she will play a key convening role”, said Rt Hon Helen Clark, PMNCH Board Chair. “Aditi is a true champion for underserved communities and will bring her fresh and energetic perspective on advocating for more equitable policy, financing and services for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ rights, health and well-being".

As part of its Governance Reform, PMNCH has spearheaded the implementation of meaningful adolescent and youth engagement, mandating the inclusion of a young person under 30 in the leadership of all governance structures. Aditi joins other PMNCH young leaders comprising one - fourth of all PMNCH leadership positions, in leading PMNCH’s advocacy.

"The Adolescent and Youth Constituency (AYC) is proud to have a young person as Board Vice Chair, positioning youth voices at the highest level of leadership at PMNCH", said David Imbago, PMNCH AYC Board member and Chair." I am delighted that PMNCH is not only advocating for meaningful adolescent and youth engagement externally but also giving its platform and governance structures in support of the youth agenda."

Aditi's nomination is part of the Board Vice Chair under 30 nomination process led by the Governance and Ethics Committee in collaboration with the Adolescents and Youth Constituency. The process started in October 2021, running through to March 2022, and culminating in an interview of the final candidates by a panel which included the Board Chair, the Governance and Ethics Committee Chair and two representatives of the Adolescents and Youth Constituency.