Dr. HEMA DIVAKAR SPEAKS…… My dear fellow FOGSI’ans, Namaskar! I wish to thank one and all for electing me as President for the year 2013. With the support of all the FOGSI’ans, I feel confident, optimistic, excited, and enthusiastic to begin my responsibility of carrying forward the work of this prestigious organization. This organization has offered great opportunities and led me to embrace several challenges—the most recent one is that of the position of PRESIDENT FOGSI 2013, and I thank you for your trust. I am aware of the responsibilities of leading this mammoth organization. I truly believe that leadership is not about position, it is about ACTION…. “Be realistic—plan for a miracle.” That’s been my mantra. I had thought to myself that if I ever become the president of FOGSI, I should be installed in MUMBAI… the place where I studied and grew up and I should have the presence and blessings of my very beloved teacher, Dr. S.N.Daftary, who saw a great potential in me, years ago ! This has become a reality this evening. I recognize that my family, and team Bengaluru, and team south India, have waited so long this evening to witness this installation ceremony, and we will all soon see the year go by swiftly with many dreams being turned into action—and I do hope to witness many more miracles to change the face of women’s healthcare in India. Everyone in the world today recognizes that India’s progress over the last 20 years has been quite phenomenal. The country has witnessed advancements in all fields but India remains “The Perpetual Paradox.” Bias against a girl child is still prevailing in the country. She faces vulnerability to violence at every stage of her life-cycle. We, at FOGSI, now recognize our responsibilities beyond healthcare—encompassing not only medical, but also the social, legal, and economic ramifications. Sex-selective abortion still prevails and the “save the Girl child” initiatives work toward ensuring that “SHE is born.” But, that’s just the beginning….. We have to educate her, ensure safe delivery, and empower her to age gracefully. Honorable Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azadji, who is the invited guest today, admitting that a huge population is a huge challenge, especially those in rural India, said that Public–Private Partnership Model (PPP) needs to be explored in a big way and stressed the need for creating facilities that are affordable to all. Honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Prithviraj Chavanji has said he will be requesting the Bombay High Court to allocate 25 fast track courts exclusively to bring fast results in cases of crime against women. The government initiatives through Gender Responsive Budgeting, GOI campaign on “Happy girl is the future of our country,” National policy for women empowerment, JSY/108 and other incentives for institutional deliveries, and the FOGSI partnership with EmOC/PCPNDT/ANTI VIOLENCE CELL/DOSST cells are examples of the several efforts toward offering equal opportunities and ensuring safety for girls and women. What has been achieved is indeed commendable, but considering the sheer size of our country, what still needs to be done presents a huge challenge. It is true that you can spend a lifetime in India and be none the wiser in trying to understand India’s vast complexities. We need to Learn to turn Challenges into Opportunities and Problems into Solutions. We need to figure out what works for us: The challenge is—india is home for 1.2 billion The opportunity is—Harness the Human Resource The challenge is—India is a land of widely varying religions, cultures, and levels of wealth The opportunity is—Build public–private partnerships. We know it is not going to be easy, but most things are difficult before they are easy… Bill Gates has remarked: “A lot of progress has come from the nation’s culture of innovation, which has produced some really original and creative solutions…..” We have plenty of ideas and the time has now come for effective implementation of innovative methods suited for our country’s needs. Hence the FOGSI 2013 theme is aptly coined as “Innovation to Implementation” The theme for FOGSI 2013 is We are proud to have many THOUGHT LEADERS for INNOVATIVE IDEAS , and we need the energy, enthusiasm, and commitment of YOUTH LEADERS for IMPLEMENTATION. To address the issues of PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE in the sphere of women’s health care, we work on the following concepts: Consider the Past: Help Mothers Survive [HMS] Evaluate the Present: Keep Educating Yourself [KEY] Create the Future: Yuva Toward Tomorrow [YTT] These are the three main stream opportunities laid out for the members for participation and action in the year 2013