June 08, 2020

As #BlackLivesMatter demonstrations continue and WGH continues to explore ways to contribute to a more equitable, just world, one thing is clear: we must do better to listen to and amplify the voices of Black women.

With this in mind, we invite you to explore our Women of Excellence: Afro Series, a collection of articles and interviews conducted with outstanding women of color of African descent, all over the world. Each story is unique and compelling, and each interview contains deeply important words from some of the most influential and insightful women alive today.

June 05, 2020

Black Lives Matter. Together we must work to unmask the centuries-long racial divides that have shaped US and global systems. In doing so, we must center, elevate and amplify the voices of Black women in global and public health to address systemic, structural racism that negatively impacts Black health and economic outcomes.

Moreover, we must join our brothers and sisters in action to end the injustices and violence that marginalized groups have faced for centuries; we must call for the end of all forms of oppression. 

May 28, 2020

Last week, the first-ever virtual World Health Assembly (WHA) took place in the midst of a global pandemic. As WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted in his opening remarks, 2020 is Year of the Nurse and Midwife, and WHA was intended to be a moment of recognition for the incredible contribution that nurses and midwives make daily, across the globe. As the majority of front line health workers fighting COVID-19, women nurses and midwives are certainly demonstrating why this recognition is important. 

May 17, 2020

Ahead of the 73rd World Health Assembly, the WHO released a comprehensive advocacy brief on Gender and COVID-19, focusing on six ways member states can ensure their responses are gender-sensitive:

1. Collecting, reporting and analyzing COVID-19 data in a sex-disaggregated and gender-responsive way

2. Including responses to violence against women, and particularly intimate partner violence, as an essential service within the COVID-19 response - and resourcing these activities adequately

3. Maintaining the availability of, and equitable access to, sexual and reproductive health services

4. Ensuring that all front-line health and social workers and caregivers have equitable access to training, PPE and other essential products, psychosocial support and social protection - taking into account the specific needs of women who constitute the majority of such workers

5. Removing financial and other barriers to COVID19 testing and treatment services and ensuring equitable access to essential health services, as well as access to safe water and sanitation facilities, especially in disadvantaged areas such as rural communities and informal settlements

6. Stressing that health is a human right; this means ensuring that emergency responses to COVID-19 are inclusive and nondiscriminatory, and to identifying and working to counter stigmatizing and discriminatory practices in COVID-19 responses

May 16, 2020

We would normally be on our way to Geneva with a WGH delegation looking forward to meeting global health colleagues from all over the world, exchanging views, participating in side events, learning and aiming to influence gender transformative change. But this is a very different, virtual 73rd World Health Assembly overshadowed by a pandemic that had led to tragic, widespread deaths and disrupted life for all of us. COVID-19 has put health onto the world agenda in an unprecedented way in just a few short months. 

May 13, 2020

WHO is taking the third Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge virtual this year. The event will run like an online virtual global relay, connecting WHO Regional and Country offices around the world on 16 May before returning to Geneva 24 hours later on 17 May. 

The event kicks off next week's World Health Assembly - which has been disrupted due to COVID-19 concerns. This year, we're encouraging delegates to consider the ways gender-sensitive policies, like safe, decent, and fairly paid work for the women health workers at the front lines of this pandemic, can help us realize #HealthForAll. Our Five Asks for Gender Responsive Health Security and work on Universal Health Coverage are just some of the ways WGH is working to encourage WHA73 delegates to apply a gender lens to the convening. 

May 11, 2020

Join us tonight, on the eve of International Nurses Day, to light a candle in remembrance of nurses and health workers who have tragically died during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tomorrow, on the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth and as part of the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, Women in Global Health is proud to join the celebration of International Nurses Day. But more than candles or applause, nurses need our support - now more than ever.

May 07, 2020

COVID-19 is a human and economic tragedy exposing the inequities in global health that undermine health security everywhere. We can only make sense of this terrible loss of life by addressing the critical issues in global health systems that have been revealed by this pandemic. 

Through a new partnership with PathFinder International announced today, Women in Global will establish and grow chapters in five countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

May 05, 2020

Midwives are some of the most important frontline health workers who form the backbone of health systems worldwide. Join us in doing more than just thanking them; help us demand action to better support them!

April 04, 2020

From leadership to biological differences between sexes, gender-responsive approaches to COVID19 control are critical to successfully defeating this pandemic - and our Five Asks for Global Health Security will get us there. In an article in the Council on Foreign Relation's ThinkGlobalHealth.org, Women in Global Health's Executive Director Roopa Dhatt joins Board Member Ann Keeling and Founder-President of Wellbeing Foundation Africa Toyin Saraki to lay out six reasons gender matters in health security.

March 30, 2020

As the WGH campaign for COVID19 gains momentum, we want to keep our community updated about how to be a part of COVID 50/50. Here are 7 ways to join the effort towards a stronger pandemic response.

March 27, 2020

A letter from Women in Global Health's executive director, Roopa Dhatt, on the importance of women's expertise in the COVID-19 crisis and the launch of Operation COVID50/50 and 5 calls to action.

March 04, 2020

Women in Global Health (WGH) plans to make 2020 a milestone year in the quest to achieve gender equality in global health by increasing the influence of women in the design and delivery of healthcare systems that work for women and girls and that can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

January 30, 2020

The World Health Organization has designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. The designation of 2020 coincides with the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, one of the founders of modern nursing. For the first time in history, the nations of the world will unite in celebration of the benefits that nursing and midwifery bring to the health of the global population. Every country needs a competent, motivated, well-distributed and supported health workforce. Midwifes and nurses can transform the ways health actions are organized and how health care is delivered, they are the backbone of primary health care systems and are essential to the achievement for universal health coverage.

January 10, 2020

It's 2020, we are energized for the decade of action!

We are excited to make strides on gender equality and recognize the important contributions of women in global health.

Read on to find out about the top upcoming milestones 2020, our new policy priorities, and more opportunities to engage!

January 01, 2020

Dear Women in Global Health community,

As we come to the end of 2019 and kick off 2020, it has been a monumental year for global health and for Women in Global Health. There is still critical work that needs to be done before we achieve gender equality in global health leadership. 

Women in Global Health just this past year through our volunteer team, supporters, partners and community has been able to keep gender equality and women’s leadership in global health a top priority.

December 25, 2019

From our global Women in Global Health team & extended network to you, thank you all for an incredible year! 

In 2019, we solidified our four policy priorities with the support of a growing community. We have been so lucky to watch our community grow to over 21,000+ amazing people, working with us toward our vision alongside our growing global chapters, 200+ partners, our Board of Directors and of course, an amazing team, who are committed to gender transformative leadership as well as creating enabling environments for all genders to thrive in the leadership journey for stronger and smarter #HealthforAll!

December 11, 2019

On December 11th, the WGH Team will be advocating for Women's rights as Human rights, on the Global Kick-Off Call for UHC Day.

December 03, 2019

To the Women in Global Health community:

Thank you for the love and support you have shown us this past year. We appreciate you always showing up and speaking out for our shared mission to raise up women's voices and opportunities in global health leadership.

November 08, 2019

Women’s leadership in global health is crucial for women to be able to set the health agenda and have their needs and perspectives reflected in society. Women’s leadership journeys are closely linked to the ability for all people, especially girls and women, to decide over their bodies. 

October 10, 2019

The Women in Global Health delegation was hard at work during the recent 74th UN General Assembly! Here are the key takeaways from our two weeks in New York:

1. Women’s leadership and voice prominent in key global summits at UNGA, however, political power is still a dream deferred.

2. Gender Equality and Women’s Rights are central in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Political Declaration.

September 22, 2019

This week is the 74th United Nations General Assembly in New York! Women in Global Health has geared to advocate for gender equality and women's leadership - this is essential for SDG progress. We are ready for critical conversation, and topping our agenda is Universal Health Coverage.

September 11, 2019

We're back! After attending Women Deliver 2019 in early June, Women in Global Health has been working hard behind-the-scenes to reflect on the progress we have made this year and prepare for our upcoming activities. We are ready to take on the coming months and hope you will join us in our fight for gender equality in global health!

July 06, 2019

Join Women in Global Health in our first Movement Building Summer Series, beginning July 8th! During these webinars, you will learn more about WGH Chapters and how to kick start your own WGH community. We would also love to hear more from you about what you want to see from the Women in Global Health movement! Tune in and support WGH from wherever you are in the world.

July 04, 2019

Four years ago this year, Women in Global Health (WGH) launched our movement for gender equality at one of the largest stages for health equity in the world – the World Health Assembly. This May, our delegation of ten women attended the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA72) as a full-fledged organization – advocating for gender equity in universal health coverage (UHC), commemorating remarkable Heroines of Health, and instilling the urgency for gender-transformative principles at every podium. We are a critical ally, nudging the World Health Organization (WHO) and the global health community, at WHA72.

May 31, 2019

From June 3 to June 6, the WGH Team will be advocating for gender equity, decent work for women, and safety at the workplace at Women Deliver 2019.

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The world's largest conference on gender equality and the health, wellbeing, and rights of women - Women Deliver 2019 - arrives in Vancouver, Canada. Occurring only every three years, Women Deliver brings gender up close and center. World leaders, changemakers, heads of organizations, and business leaders will all be present - speaking and advocating for gender equality and women's rights.

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The core of our work at Women in Global Health is women's leadership - as women deliver health (indeed), they must also be the decision-makers for health systems. The Women in Global Health delegation will be present at Women Deliver, advocating for women in the health workforce, safe workplaces, and gender transformative leadership. If you're attending, we'd love to see you there - register for the events below and follow along on Twitter.

May 20, 2019

Each May, senior health officials, heads of health organizations, and health professionals from all over the world arrive in Geneva, Switzerland to attend the eight days of the World Health Assembly (WHA). For over 72 years, this annual meeting has spurred action for the global health policy agenda, as committees and policy-makers meet to review past challenges and responses, as well as discuss upcoming health policy priorities for the world. Alongside these high-level committees, hundreds of delegates will gather to attend several side-events addressing key areas such as civil society participation, emergency response, and of course, universal health coverage and gender mainstreaming.

The Women in Global Health delegation will be in attendance, and will be live-tweeting throughout the week. Follow along using the hashtag #womeninGH and #WHA72 together, as we'll be tracking your inputs, comments, and contributions. 

April 21, 2019

Four years ago this spring, Women in Global Health's four co-founders met through Twitter, connecting over the fact that women were missing from global health leadership. Three months later, these four millennials launched a movement - Women in Global Health - at the 68th World Health Assembly, with no funding. Our first partnership with Global Health Council came shortly after, in 2015.

February 26, 2019

On the heels of the World Health Organization's Executive Board Meeting, February continues the momentum for global health equality. This month, in a landmark move for a publication, The Lancet published a theme issue on advancing women in science, medicine, and global health, providing further evidence for action towards gender equality. The issue dives into the theme, highlighting the immense contributions of women scientists, scholars, and leaders - noted by an editorial about feminism for everybody.

January 09, 2019

The Women in Global Health team would like to wish you a warm welcome to the new year! 

Women in Global Health is making 2019 the year of Doing Things Differently for Gender Equality and Women's Leadership in Global Health.

In 2019, WGH will focus on four policy areas:

1. Going beyond gender parity to champion gender transformative leadership for smarter global health.

2. Campaigning, as the champion for women in health globally (including the female health workforce), to root out gender discrimination including gender leadership and pay gaps, sexual harassment and violence, occupational segregation and unpaid work.

3. Creating enabling environments for all genders in global health, especially in the Global South, by building the WGH community of national chapters.

4. Ensuring gender is mainstreamed through Universal Health Coverage (UHC), with women viewed as key drivers of health at the 2019 UN High Level Meeting on UHC. 

December 20, 2018

The Women in Global Health team & extended network would like to sincerely thank you all for an incredible year! 

In 2018, the power of community has been central to our work. We have seen our community grow and we have been working toward our vision alongside a 12,000+ strong community of supporters, our growing global chapters, 150+ partners, our Board of Directors and of course, an amazing team, who are committed to gender transformative leadership as well as creating enabling environments for all genders to thrive in the leadership journey for stronger and smarter #HealthforAll!

No matter how we celebrate the season, may we all unite around our shared vision for a more equitable world.

November 19, 2018

As November winds down, Women in Global Health (WGH) takes a moment to reflect on an incredible month. From Beating the Drum: Domestic Resource Use and Mobilization for Accelerating Progress Towards SDG3+ and the Global Financing Facility (GFF) Replenishment Event in Norway to the 2nd Annual Women Leaders in Global Health Conference (WLGH) in the United Kingdom, we are grateful for the advocates and allies we have all over the world.  Below are more upcoming opportunities to engage with us as well as our amazing global chapters as we elevate our messages on gender equality within global health leadership!

November 06, 2018

Women in Global Health is thrilled to announce our 2018 Board of Directors during Women in Global Health Week! Please join us in welcoming the following distinguished champions who will actively shape WGH's strategy and impact in the upcoming years and lead the path to achieving gender equality in women's leadership as one collective force. We hope you will support our Board Members by following them on Twitter as well as joining the conversation with them at the 2nd Annual Women Leaders in Global Health Conference (#WLGH18, #WomeninGH) hosted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London, United Kingdom this week.

November 04, 2018

The much awaited Women in Global Health Week is beginning. Starting with the Global Financing Facility's Replenishment event in Norway, where Women in Global Health (WGH) is engaging to highlight gender-inclusive health workforces, our team and partners are in events all week to advance the agenda for gender equality and women's leadership in global health, including the much anticipated 2nd Annual Women Leaders in Global Health Conference (WLGH) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. We experienced a preview of the energy to celebrate women's leadership and the need to address power and privilege imbalances in global health leadership with the #SheSpeaks Twitter chat on November 1st. Read our new WLGH blog penned by WGH Senior Fellow Ann Keeling and Executive Director Roopa Dhatt.

October 23, 2018

This month, the Women in Global Health (WGH) team has been on the road - making sure gender equality in global health leadership is on everyone's agenda. Below are some upcoming opportunities to engage with us and elevate our messages!

October 07, 2018

In October, Women in Global Health will be joining academics, researchers, policy makers, and governments for many events around the globe and we will be focusing on advocating for our 2018 policy priorities:

1. Gender parity 40/60 and gender transformative leadership in global health.

2. Celebrating health workers at the frontline of health services.

3. Building WGH communities (hubs and chapters).

4. Ensuring gender is mainstreamed through Universal Health Coverage (UHC), with women being viewed as key drivers of health.

October 03, 2018

Last week, WGH members attended the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City - our first engagement at UNGA since we registered as a non profit in the USA in 2017. We participated in a high-level event, the #UHC2030 Forum, to ensure that women's leadership and gender equality remain central to the Universal Health Coverage 2030 agenda to achieve #HealthForAll, as well as several consultations, multiple events, and bilateral and social gatherings focused on women's leadership, the health workforce, and sexual and reproductive health. 

September 20, 2018

The 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which opened this week, represents a significant moment for the global health community. For the first time in the history of UNGA, there are not one, but TWO UN High Level Meetings on health. We are thrilled to see that WHO is committed to advancing gender equity and rights, as reflected in their new investment case, for which the estimated financial requirement for 2019-2023 is USD $14.1 billion. As a member of the WHO External Relations Advisory group, WGH calls upon the global community, especially Member States, donors, and those with resources to contribute to WHO's campaign to reach the Triple Billion Goal.

July 16, 2018

We've had an exciting and busy spring season here at Women in Global Health (WGH), both internally and externally! Not only were we able to attend and participate in several high profile events, we were able to engage new audiences and sectors in the gender equality discussion. We also progressed the discussion of gender equality in global health leadership through articles, blogs, and online webinars/twitter chats. And although having to say goodbye to some core members of the team, we were thrilled to welcome in some talented individuals into the organization. Read our Executive Director's Spring 2018 letter.

June 05, 2018

Women in Global Health was pleased to attend the 71st World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, where we advanced the dialogue on gender equality and women’s leadership in global health through a broad range of activities. "Walk the Talk" with a refreshing, energizing and visionary attitude was the tune of the 71st World Health Assembly, under the new Director General, Dr. Tedros. The attitude was clearly about shifting mindsets, doing things differently, and embracing a partnership approach to all aspects of global health. We were particularly pleased to see that gender equality and women’s leadership were top priorities for Dr. Tedros and his team, since his commitment to Women in Global Health at the 70th World Health Assembly. 

May 15, 2018

The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the most prestigious gathering in global health, bringing together policy decision makers with a range of key stakeholders to set the global health agenda. It is this setting that we strive to shape and influence to advance gender equality in global health leadership. We look forward to collaborating with you in the lead-up, during and follow-up of the  71st World Health Assembly, to be held May 21-26 in Geneva, Switzerland. 

March 15, 2018

Join us for the International Women's Day 2018 Recap Twitter Chat this Monday, March 19th at 10AM EST / 3PM CET! The objectives of this twitter chat are to: 1) discuss takeaways from recent programming, literature, and conversations surrounding International Women's Day, 2) discuss what was missing or underrepresented during IWD dialogues in global health, 3) explore next steps to continue momentum for International Women's Day, especially in the global health field...

February 22, 2018

At Women in Global Health, we believe that a diverse, gender balanced leadership is key for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and are working to give all genders an equal voice in the global health sector. In the 2.5 years since we were founded, we have developed and led over 25+ events, engaging over 1500 participants in the past year from over 70+ countries. We had an amazing 2017, thanks to your support, and are looking forward to an even bigger 2018. To meet the demands of this exciting year, we are looking to expand our team and are launching our first Call for Applications of 2018!

February 18, 2018

2018 is in full swing and Women in Global Health has some great ambitions for this year! In this 13th edition of our newsletter, we thank our 2017 donors and supporters, outline our key priorities for 2018, reflect upon our past events, outline upcoming events, and highlight our own and our partner events and news.

December 30, 2017

Closing the door on 2017, we have some big plans for 2018! We've received incredible feedback recently- thank you to those who have responded to our fundraising appeal! Based on collected comments, we realized that some of you never knew we operated as a volunteer-based organization. We spend countless hours working towards gender equality in global health leadership, all in our own time, just think of the impact we could make with your support!

December 20, 2019

Heading into the holiday season, Women in Global Health wanted to thank you all for an amazing year and pass along our wishes for a wonderful holiday season! No matter how we celebrate the season, may we all unite around our shared vision for a more equitable world. 

December 12, 2017

2017 was a big year! 

Not only are we celebrating our official NGO status, we're also celebrating some AMAZING accomplishments from the past 11 and a half months, and you can helps us end the year off with a bang!

December 07, 2017

What started as a discussion in 2015, via social media and through student networks, among four like-minded women seeking gender equality in global health leadership, has now evolved into an unstoppable and global movement. We've had an outpouring of support from all corners of the world - support for this issue and support for our work - and we want to thank all of those who have supported us along this journey.

We are proud to announce that WOMEN IN GLOBAL HEALTH is now an officially recognized non-profit organization!  With your help, we can solidify and grow this inspirational community. Make a tax-deductible donation TODAY to support WGH's continued work!

December 04, 2017

Women in Global Health had a busy month in November, organizing sessions focusing on public health and politics, sexual and reproductive health, gender transformative leadership, and the role gender plays in the health workforce. See our session summaries and take-home messages from the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) Annual Meeting, the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Conference, and the 4th Global Forum on Human Resources for Health. We've collected a list of relevant publications, including our co-authorship in The Lancet with the Women Leaders in Global Health Conference Steering Committee, and have let you know about some exciting upcoming events!

November 16, 2017

In this issue of the Women in Global Health newsletter, we reflect on our past achievements and activities in October, including:

• The Women Leaders in Global Health Conference at Stanford University;

• Our workshop and Meet & Greet events at the World Health Summit, where we launched our first local chapter: Women in Global Health Germany;

• Our commentary blogs on gender representation in both the Global Fund and the WHO executive team;

We've also had the privilege of a few guest bloggers contributing to this issue, as well as the honor of speaking with Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. Lastly, we would like to congratulate our Research Director, Mehr Manzoor, for her Fullbright Scholarship at Tulane University, which will allow her to continue researching women's leadership in health. 

November 08, 2017

The 4th Global Forum on Human Resources for Health is one of the main global health events in 2017, bringing together a range of actors: policy makers, planners, civil society, practitioners, academia, researchers and decision-makers across the sectors (including health, labour, education and finance).

The Forum, convened by Trinity College, Health Services Executive, Irish Aid, the Departments of Health, Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, the World Health Organization and the Global Health Workforce Network – will be held in Dublin, Ireland, from November 13-17, 2017.

We invite you to join our events at the 4th Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, live or online! You can follow the tweets on our Twitter account or by following #HRHForum2017 and #WomeninGH. You can find more information about the event here.

November 02, 2017

We are excited to be holding a variety of events at the upcoming American Public Health Association Annual Meeting 'Creating the Healthiest Nation: Climate Changes Health', to be held November 4-8 in Atlanta, USA. We will be live-tweeting and live-streaming from our account so please make sure to tune in and participate from wherever you are!

If you be attending the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and looking to join one of our events or meet with our team members, please let us know here. We welcome you to our events and are looking forward to meeting you.

October 09, 2017

We are very excited for the Women Leaders in Global Health Conference at Stanford University in California, USA, this coming Thursday, 12th October!  Women in Global Health have been the implementing partner in the planning and execution of this ground-breaking conference, a year in the making. 

You can start by checking out our Women Leader Spotlight to read our interviews with Dr. Sania Nishtar, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Dr. Heidi Larson, and Kavita Ramdas. We asked these phenomenal women leaders what this event means to them and the future of the #WomeninGH movement.

In order to be as inclusive as possible, the conference will also be live-streamed. For those who aren't able to attend in person, you can watch the main-stage here! Check out the list of speakers and times on the conference website.

Make sure to use #womeningh and #WLGH17 on Twitter to follow the discussions and participate by asking questions to the panelists and speakers! As always, we will report back about the event on our blog.

September 06, 2017

Welcome to the end-of-summer edition of the Women in Global Health newsletter!

In this Issue:

• 'Heroines of Health' summary

• 'Heroines of Health' documentary

• Post-event blog from the Global Health Next Generation Network

• A special acknowledgement, a farewell to Dr. Margaret Chan

• A warm welcome to incoming Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

• In the news

• Upcoming events

June 21, 2017

Welcome to an exciting issue of Women in Global Health's Newsletter! In this issue, we summarize the events held at the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) that focused on gender equality and women's leadership, held by our team and partners.

Women in Global Health sought to continue the advancement of the role of women in global health leadership at the WHA, calling on the Global Health community and the World Health Organization (WHO) to make commitments to gender equality in leadership. We also created space to recognize and celebrate great women who have shaped global healthcare in their communities through our Heroines of Health Gala.​

This was our third attendance at the WHA, and Women in Global Health approached this event with specific objectives aimed at: 1) Increasing the visibility of women’s leadership within global health; 2) Encouraging relevant organizations and institutions to create more gender equal work environments; 3) Motivating prominent individuals to commit to promote gender equality within their organizations; 4) Ensuring that stakeholders and the general public are well informed of actions, knowledge outputs, and results that WGH delivers; 5) Fostering a more gender transformative environment in global health, especially at the WHA.

From all that we accomplished in Geneva, our team has brought back the key messages from this year's World Health Assembly events to your inbox. We hope you learn as much as we did.

May 23, 2017

The 70th World Health Assembly is the largest gathering of health professionals and leaders in the world, leadership that can drive change for achieving gender parity at the WHO and within Member States. We want to take this opportunity to congratulate incoming Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who believes strongly in investing in girls' and women's health and rights. We commend his objective to disaggregate data by gender to make health policies more applicable to all genders. We encourage him to continue working on the commitments he has made to gender equality and look forward to working alongside him in the future to further a gender transformative global health agenda.

We also want to take this opportunity to give our special gratitude to all candidates who showed dedicated leadership in their run for candidacy, especially Dr. Sania Nishtar andDr. David Nabarro, who put forward strong gender platforms that promoted gender transformative leadership. We encourage all leaders in the global health community to work to advance gender equality through their leadership.

May 21, 2017

The 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) launches on Monday, May 22nd in Geneva, Switzerland, marking an exciting week for Women in Global Health. Two years ago at the 68th WHA, Women in Global Health was officially launched and we're thrilled to have returned each year with more determination and support for our cause.

Discussions around global health leadership is also especially pertinent this year with the election of the next Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The candidates, Dr. David Nabarro, Dr. Sania Nishtar, and Dr. Tedros Adhanom, have all committed to gender equality at all levels of the WHO. We thank them for giving us their time to discuss why addressing gender equality in global health leadership is paramount to a healthy world, and look forward to working with the successful candidate. We trust the Member States to select a candidate who is committed to gender equality and move forward on our Call to Action to create more gender equal global health space. 

Looking ahead to our third presence at the World Health Assembly, Women in Global Health aims to:

1. To increase the visibility of women’s leadership within the global health;

2. To encourage relevant organizations and institutions to create more gender equal work environments;

3. To motivate prominent individuals to commit to promote gender equality within their organizations;

4. To ensure that stakeholders and the general public are well informed of actions, knowledge products and results that WGH delivers;

5. To foster a more gender transformative environment in global health, especially at the World Health Assembly.

May 08, 2017

Welcome to an exciting issue of Women in Global Health's Newsletter! This issue, we explore the complexities of reshaping leadership and what can be done moving forward. From past events to upcoming ones, conversations continue to occur around the world on gender equality and women's leadership.

Importantly, the 70th World Health Assembly is taking place in a few weeks and Women in Global Health will have a delegation there. Follow our work on Twitter as we live-tweet the event, and email info@womeningh.org if you would like to meet us in Geneva.

In this issue:

• Event Summary, GlobeMed Summit: Women’s leadership in the 21st Century

• Reflection Blog, GlobeMed Summit: If not now, then when? Women Leading Bravely in Global Health

• Event Summary, World Congress on Public Health: Women in Global Health at the 15th World Congress on Public Health

• Partner Event Blog, CUGH conference: Women & Global Health Leadership: Three things to consider

• New initiative: A much needed makeover: reshaping the leadership pyramid of women in academic global health

• Upcoming Event: Stanford University's 'Women Leaders in Global Health' Conference Registration is now open!

• Upcoming Event: 50/50 Day, May 10th

• Partner Reflection Blog: Global Health Council In 2017: Our First 100 Days

• Reflection Blog: Advancing health labor market data, analysis and tracking: The Importance of Gender-Disaggregated Data

• Women Leader Spotlight: Dr. Michele Barry, Senior Associate Dean for Global Health at the Stanford School of Medicine

April 24, 2017

Women in Global Health is a movement of dynamic professionals around the world, of all genders and backgrounds, working within many different areas of global health looking to achieve gender equality in global health leadership. We believe that diverse, gender-balanced leadership is key for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), improving health and well-being, and are working to give all genders an equitable voice in the global health arena.

Women in Global Health is pleased to partner with Stanford University's Center for Innovation in Global Health to present the Women Leaders in Global Health Conference this October 12th, 2017. Registration is now open for this inaugural event. The conference builds on the global movement to press for gender equity in global health leadership by celebrating great works of emerging and established women in the field and cultivating the next generation of women leaders. Learn more and register >>

March 27, 2017

In light of Women's History Month, Women in Global Health (WGH) is examining gender parity within the global health sphere, where we are going, and how we can move forward together for a more equal world.

WGH has been busy with our research and contributing to global discussions about this topic. This month, we were featured and interviewed for a Devex article on gender parity in the UN and published an article in The Lancet Global Health Blog on the future of gender equality. You can read both these articles below.

Also, be sure to check out our Women Leaders Spotlight with Dr. Folake Olayinka. Her inspiring story to leadership will leave you thinking "Yes, I can!"

Thanks to everyone who submitted an application to join our team, it was inspiring to see over 250 applications submitted to join the growing WGH community! We are currently reviewing all applications and will be in touch shortly.

In this issue:

• WGH co-authors blog in The Lancet titled: Gender and the future of global health

• WGH contributes to Devex article: Is gender parity a task for the next WHO Chief?

• Women Leaders Spotlight: Meet Dr. Folake Olayinka

• Gender Parity in US-based Global Health Events Live Panel & Twitterchat

• Conversations at The Future of Global Health 2017

• Power and Privilege Within the Medical Profession Webinar

• Woman of the Year in Healthcare: Shakira Choonara

February 23, 2017

Men Who Get It: Why gender equality matters for society and everyone in it!

Women in Global Health has decided to dedicate February's newsletter on how to make the topic of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment a conversation that includes everyone. Too often in the development and global health community, these conversations happen in silos—significantly in gender silos and also in perspective silos.  With February being a month leading up to International Women’s Day, we are taking this opportunity to build engagement of all genders on gender equality. 

In this Issue, you can read interviews with a few male champions for gender equality and how they use their influence to move this important matter forward in their daily lives.

February 05, 2017

Join our team!

Women in Global Health is a movement of dynamic professionals around the world, of all genders and backgrounds, working within many different areas of health looking to achieve gender equity in global health leadership.  We believe that diverse, gender-balanced leadership is key for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and are working to give all genders an equal voice in the global health arena. As of Monday, 6 February 2017, we have now opened our Call for Applications, which will run until 28 February, 23:59 EST. 

Positions are available across many areas of our work, including within communications, program development, research, finance, administration and more.

January 23, 2017

ACT NOW!

Women in Global Health and the Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute Geneva, on behalf of the Women's Leadership in Global Health Strategy Roundtables launch this Call to Action to address the current leadership gap in global health and to call upon the WHO and its Member States to take decisive steps to achieve gender parity.

To learn more about what we are asking from the global health community, please read our Correspondence Letter in The Lancet and follow #WomeninGH to be a part of the discussion during the Executive Board meetings in Geneva this week. 

January 08, 2017

​Did you notice something new about us? Why yes, we did change our look! It's the start of a new year and that means new and meaningful changes happening at WGH, beginning with our re-branding, which represents a step-forward in our strategic plan for the future. 

A New Year: A New Way Forward

Women in Global Health is hopeful that 2017 will be a year in which we continue to make strides on gender equality in global health leadership! It is a year full of leadership transitions and we hope to see greater feminist political leadership in the top ranks of the global health community.

In 2016, we focused on raising awareness on women’s leadership, the gender leadership gap in global health, and creating space for global health community members to connect on gender equality.  As we enter 2017, while we will continue to raise awareness, we will shift our focus on further building our momentum for social change.  Women in Global Health aspires to serve as a convener and source for global health leaders to become gender transformative. Through our Women Leaders in Global Health Initiative (WLGHI), we will bring further recognition and visibility to the contributions of women leaders.

WGH strategic priorities this year include to:

• Design a sustainable business model for further growth, global health community engagement, and financing.

• Create and promote tools, including launching a Gender Transformative Leadership curriculum for global health leaders to guide them in the process of bringing forth gender equality change in their workplaces, in their communities, and in society.

• Be a hub for women leaders in global health by providing opportunities for networking, mentorship and sponsorship. We aim to do this as we support the development and implementation of an annual conference.

• Organize and strategize with all other like-minded stakeholders in global health to advance gender equality in global health institutions and policies.

December 20, 2016

Season's Greetings and Happy Holidays!

With the holidays in full swing, we'd like to take a moment to let you know how grateful we are for your support of gender equality in global health leadership and the work that Women in Global Health has done over the last year. With your support, we've made 2016 an incredible year. We've been really busy over the year making strides to get women's leadership in global health to the top of the agenda.

1.     WGH at the 69th World Health Assembly: In May, we held 3 events at the 69th WHA, including co-hosting, along with Global Health Council, GE Healthcare and the United Nations Foundation, the first Women Leaders in Global Health Dinner. The dinner brought together over 40 incredible women leaders from around the globe to discuss their experiences and challenges with reaching leadership positions in their chosen field.

2.     Event Organizer Gender Parity Checklist: This year, we also launched our draft Event Organizer Gender Parity Checklist, which was designed for organizers of conferences and other large events to help them highlight the voices of women and ensure that they have gender parity in their speakers’ lists.

3.     Women’s Leadership in Global Health Strategy Series: 2016 saw the launch of a Women's Leadership in Global Health Strategy series, co-hosted with the Global Health Center at the Graduate Institute which convened high-level policy-makers to discuss key policy steps to mobilize gender-focused commitments in global health to address the gender imbalance in leadership, including a public event entitled 'Gender Reality Check in Global Health.'

4.     WHO Director General Election process: Meanwhile, we are also participating in the WHO DG Election process by bringing attention to the gender equality agenda among candidates and members states.

And this is just a small sample of the many amazing activities that Women in Global Health has undertaken this year!

December 18, 2016

Women in Global Health would like to wish you Happy Holidays! We hope the season is getting off to a great start. As the year comes to an end and a new one begins, we wanted to let you know we are very motivated to work with all of you to advance gender equality!

In this Issue:

• Call for Applications- coming soon!

• UN Women Transformative Leadership Training

• Emerging Voices & Health Systems Research Global Global Symposium 2016

• Women's Leadership in Global Health, Geneva: Roundtable #2

• Women Leaders Spotlight

• Upcoming Events

​Also, don't forget to do our WGH vote for Director-General of the World Health Organization!

December 08, 2016

The World Health Organization (WHO) is electing its next Director-General (DG) in May 2017. The DG is one of the key leadership positions, particularly for health. WHO provides both a technical and political leadership in the world. Advertently, it has become quite challenging for WHO to operate in a very competitive global health environment--financing and governance are the top challenges, of many, the organization is facing.  The next WHO leader will need to face these obstacles.

This particular election is an unprecedented opportunity for all actors, including the public, to engage with the WHO DG Election (#WHOElection).  There are ongoing public events to engage with the candidates and get to know their platforms. Even the candidates themselves have created social media strategies, including websites and Twitter accounts, to increase opportunities for broader engagement and have also been featured in the Lancet.  

There has also been an effort to equip decision makers and the global health community with relevant knowledge related to needs of global health and the “ideal” global health leader through articles and polls. These efforts have been driven by the work of the Global Health Centre (GHC) of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and the Blavatnik School of Government of the University of Oxford, Chatham House, the Lancet, Council on Foreign Relations, Women Deliver and Rockefeller Foundation, to name a few. Women in Global Health is joining this dialogue by bringing attention to the gender equality platform.