Gdansk, 23 April 2015 – Yesterday, anti-poverty activists and members of ONE, a campaigning and advocacy organisation of over 6 million people, descended on the streets of Gdansk to remind Donald Tusk of his responsibility to place women at the heart of the global fight against extreme poverty.

Kalina Samolewicz, Polish ONE Member, said:

“Yesterday, which was both President Tusk’s birthday and Earth Day, was a hugely symbolic day. Here in Gdansk, Tusk’s hometown, his fellow citizens have made it very clear what steps Tusk, as President of the European Council, must take in order to make the planet a better and fairer place.”

“As the world maps out a new set of development goals over the coming months, the citizens of Gdansk call on President Tusk to commit to better target investments in health, education and the economic empowerment of girls and women, so that all of society across the entire planet can benefit.”

Robin de Wouters, organiser of the event, said:

“The atmosphere of energy and desire for change among the residents of Gdansk is incredibly moving. It just goes to show how much EU citizens care about international development and gender equality – and how much they want to see decision-makers take strong, decisive action in these areas. 2015 is a year of unique opportunity to transform the lives of hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest people. Girls and women in the poorest countries suffer most and it is imperative that world leaders seize the opportunity to bring about real progress for those left behind.”

***ENDS***

Notes to editors:

• For further information and interviews, contact ONE: Robin de Wouters – [email protected] – +32 (0)2 300 8946 – +32 (0)471 23 92 70 or Tess Uytterhoeven – [email protected] – +32 (0)2 300 89 42 – +32 (0)471 89 64 22

• About Poverty is Sexist: Girls and women are hit hardest by extreme poverty across every area of life, but they also hold the key to change, according to new analysis published by The ONE Campaign on International Women’s Day 2015. ONE’s report,“Poverty is Sexist” shows how unlocking women’s economic potential could improve the lives of everyone in society, and highlights how 2015 represents a historic opportunity to turn things around.

• About the post-2015 agenda: In September 2015, the world’s governments are set to agree to a new set of development goals at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with the ambition of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and ensuring no one is left behind.

• About ONE: ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organisation of more than 6 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Not politically partisan, we raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programmes. To learn more, go to ONE.org.