CanWaCH delegation at ICFP 2025: Five questions with Natty Mulualem

Hosted in Bogotá, Colombia, the 2025 International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) saw the global community gather from November 3 to 6 to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and drive global progress to sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality. CanWaCH was pleased to join the conference and support the attendance of youth and delegates from organizations across our membership. The following Q&A is part of a series of interviews with members of the CanWaCH delegation. Read all of the delegation’s insights on Write to Thrive.

Why did you want to attend ICFP 2025?  What drew you to being part of the CanWaCH delegation?

Three reasons. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to travel to The Gambia for an internship at a non-profit organization focused on peer health education. This unique experience allowed me to witness the work they were doing first hand, especially in the realm of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). When I saw that one of the main themes of the ICFP 2025 was SRHR, I was immediately drawn to attend. 

Second, I was excited about the opportunity to attend a global health conference and learn about the work being done surrounding SRHR. I recently completed my undergraduate degree in health sciences, which provided me with baseline knowledge of some of the topics being discussed, but attending a high level conference like the ICFP provided me with a learning opportunity not achievable in the classroom. 

Third, I am a people-person, and I love the opportunity to meet new people. I enjoy being able to hear new ideas from others and their life experiences, especially from those who come from a different country than me. Travelling or attending diverse conferences like these allows me to expand my worldview and gain an experience I wouldn’t have had staying home in Canada. 

I was drawn to the CanWaCH delegation as I resonated with the organization’s vision of “a world where women, children and adolescents, in all their diversity, realize their right to thrive in full health.” Involved with one of their member organizations, the World University Service of Canada (WUSC), I see how this can one day be achieved through education. I admire CanWaCH and how they bring people together through their membership, which aligns with my values of community.

What was a moment at ICFP 2025 that made you stop and think differently about an issue? Did you hear a perspective that challenged your assumptions or changed your mind?

A session that really opened my eyes was a debate on low fertility. In the past 75 years, the total fertility rate has dropped from 5 to about 2.5, which sparked one of the debate’s topics: Should we fear falling birth rates? This is a topic that I hadn’t thought much about prior to the debate, but it made me reflect on the direction of our world. 

Presenters shed light on the significance of a large young population to keep up with innovation and the general workforce, but equally emphasized the crisis of being forced into having children and child marriage. This was an interesting and necessary topic to debate. I’m looking forward to taking what I’ve learned and continuing this dialogue in my circles. 

If you had to describe ICFP 2025 in three words, what would they be?

Passion: Each session was filled with energy and a passion for the work being done.

Connections: I had the opportunity to meet people from all around the world through ICFP. It was truly a privilege. 

Thought-provoking: I learned about so many new perspectives surrounding family planning.

How did being part of a Canadian delegation shape your experience at the conference?

ICFP was my first global conference (and hopefully not the last!), so being part of a Canadian delegation made navigating a conference environment a smooth process. There were times when I felt overwhelmed with all of the information coming my way. Having the team there to debrief was really beneficial for me. All of us came from different work and educational backgrounds, and are in different walks of life, but came together for this conference. 

Having a group with diverse knowledge and skill sets made attending a conference in a new country all the better. Outside of the conference, it was nice to meet new people living in Colombia, Canada and beyond. It can be hard to do that nowadays. Therefore, getting to know people sharing similar interests and passions was a blessing. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed the conference as much as I did without the great group of people with me. 

Based on your experience at ICFP, what advice would you give someone else attending their first large global event?

Here are five pieces of advice I’d give someone attending their first large global event:

1) The first day can often be the most overwhelming, but don’t let it get you down. I remember feeling really lost during and after my first full conference day. As a recent graduate, several topics were often new to me, so it all felt like information overload by the end of the day. Something I’m glad I did at the end of that day was reflect on what I had learned by chatting with others and journaling. 

2) There will be times when you will feel like you know nothing, and that’s okay, embrace it! Allow yourself to be open to the discomfort of newness and use it to ask questions and be curious. 

3) Don’t be afraid to talk to new people. Global events, like ICFP, provide you with a unique opportunity that is hard to find elsewhere. Meeting new people, from all over the world, with similar interests and passions to you is truly a privilege, cherish it! 

4)  While learning and socializing can be fun, and you may want to attend as many sessions as possible, don’t forget to take breaks. Take time for yourself to recharge. Remember, quality over quantity! 

5) Global conferences provide you with the opportunity to travel to a new place. Take some time to see the city you’re in when you can!

Connect with Natty on LinkedIn!