Werribee’s Sarah Allen wants to do all she can to help end disease and poverty.
The Hoppers Crossing Guides leader has been chosen to join a United Nations conference about the status of women.
Next month, Ms Allen will join the New York-based conference remotely from Melbourne after being selected by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
The conference will discuss the role of educating women to bring about an end to poverty and diseases such as malaria and HIV.
Ms Allen says the conference will also discuss how the UN can meet its millennium development goals – eight targets set in 2000 ranging from halving extreme poverty rates to providing universal primary education by 2015.
“I think the millennium development goals are an issue that will define our generation,” she said. “We want to empower women and make sure they receive the education and training that will help in their everyday lives.”
Ms Allen said the Guiding organisation had given her a chance to mentor younger girls. “They view you in a different light to a teacher and open up to you about things. You get a chance to help them become beautiful teenagers eventually.”
Ms Allen will join fellow Victorian Guide Erin Wicking in Canberra next week to discuss the status of women around the world with Deputy Prime Minister Julie Bishop and Australia’s ambassador for women and girls, Natasha Stott Despoja.
