GENEVA: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent on Monday elected US national, Kate Forbes as new president of the organization.
The organization in a statement termed Kate Forbes’s election as a historic moment. She is the second woman to hold the position.
The statement said that this milestone underlines the IFRC’s commitment towards gender equality in its leadership.
IFRC, has presence in 191 states around the world and counts around 16 million volunteers. The IFRC stated that presidency of Forbes marks a pivotal shift towards addressing the complexities of the contemporary world.
It further said that main area of focus under her leadership will be climate change and migration adding that she would also work on community empowerment and youth engagement.
Climate change impacting communities across world
Forbes in a statement said communities across the world are witnessing the impacts of climate change, health emergencies and geopolitical tensions.
Forbes, has decades of experience within the IFRC network. She will replace Francesco Rocca of Italy, who had held the post since 2017.
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She started off her career as local volunteer at the Phoenix chapter of the American Red Cross. She eventually became vice chairman of the board and national chairperson of volunteers, managing more than one million volunteers.
