Claire Charnees (right) and French delegate Sally Dimachki arrive at the summit.
Change begins today. I arrived in Mexico City this afternoon, along with 21 other girls from around the globe. My journey began at 5 a.m. Toronto time, bright and early. (Actually, dark and early.) But it didn't bother me a bit, considering where I was going. We were all travelling long distances – up to 19 hours for some of us.
I was greeted at the airport by representatives from Nissan, a G(irls)20 Summit sponsor, for a comfortable and interesting ride to the hotel. Big-city traffic in Canada is bad, but it's nothing compared to Mexico City traffic. I'm not sure stop signs even exist here, but the friendly Mexican culture and colorful buildings more than make up for it. I shared a ride with Sally Dimachki, the French delegate, who is one of the most well-travelled people I've ever met. And despite our different upbringings, we had plenty to share and even more in common.
A lot is going to happen over the next few days of the summit; we were handed an enormous package for reading upon arrival. Our agenda mirrors what Group of 20 leaders will be discussing in Los Cabos next month, including the economic impact of violence against women and food security, an issue here in Mexico as well as Canada.
The point of the summit is to bring together one girl from each G20 country to demonstrate that girls and women are catalysts for global change. I know I've just arrived, but I feel that, on so many levels. More later.