The Women Leaders in Global Health Conference in partnership with the Stanford University Center for

The roles of women in global health are vast and varied and can be found in large numbers across the span of professions. Where we seldom find a strong representation of women in the overall global health field is at the highest institutional level, in top leadership roles. Women in Global Health surveyed the global health community over two years ago when we first started, asking the global health field exactly what would they want to see in a conference about women in global health. Over 250 respondents, from 6 continents, expressed the need for a space to talk about leadership, soft skills, navigating work-life balance, negotiating and how to transform the culture of global health to be more gender equal.

This lack of recognition of women’s contributions to health is most stark when looking at women’s representation in global health leadership, which is particularly low in academia, government and the private sector. In academia for instance, women represent the majority of students in academic global health tracks, yet they hold fewer than 1 in 4 global health leadership positions at the top 50 U.S. medical schools.

Frustrated by the lack of diversity and representation of women in global health leadership positions, yet inspired by the amazing contribution of the large and growing number of women in global and public health, Stanford University’s Center for Innovation in Global Health is hosting the inaugural Women Leaders in Global Health conference at Stanford (#WLGH17). The conference will be the first of its kind to focus exclusively on bringing visibility to great works of emerging and established women leaders in global health and their male allies.

With closely aligning principles, Women in Global Health is proud to serve as an implementing partner of the WLGH conference. Headed by Director Roopa Dhatt, Conference and Events Coordinator Asha Herten and Communications Director Caity Jackson, Women in Global Health have been working to support the development of the conference guided by WGH’s approach, which encompasses life-course and intersectional aspects. The conference seeks to bring gender to the forefront of the global health conversation and to encourage debate and learning. We are excited to join with Stanford to support a conference that recognizes the unique barriers women in global health face, and are looking forward to engaging leaders from around the globe on addressing these barriers. The conference will set the stage for an intersectional and women-centric conversation, allowing us to dive deeper into the every-day roles of power, privilege and prejudice within global health.

The WLGH conference will provide a setting where likeminded women and men gather to celebrate women’s leadership, engage in meaningful dialogue, network with potential mentors, and take a stand to ensure that the face of global health is more gender equal and gender aware now and into the future. We believe that this conference will catapult the momentum of women organizing for greater gender equality, diversity and empowerment in global health. The Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health hosts a team of trailblazers, change makers, and thought leaders, led by its director and senior associate dean for global health at the Stanford School of Medicine, Michele Barry, and its deputy director, Katherine States Burke. Together with WGH as an implementing partner, we look forward to shaking up global health leadership, so that it is more inclusive, diverse and transformative.

Registration is now open!

Be sure to apply early as admissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis. All applicants wishing to be considered for financial aid must submit their conference registration by May 25.