ABSTRACT:
Around the world, women make up the majority of the global health workforce yet remain significantly underrepresented in senior decision making roles, even in institutions dedicated to women’s and children’s health. Over the past year in 2025, we have witnessed a converging crises—climate change, conflict and displacement, dramatic shifts in global health funding streams, shrinking civic space, and growing backlash against gender equality—are reshaping health priorities and power structures in ways that directly affect women’s lives and leadership trajectories. This panel brings together diverse leaders from across regions and sectors to examine how gendered power dynamics, colonial legacies, and structural barriers continue to limit women’s influence in global health governance, financing, and research, and to spotlight evidence informed approaches that are beginning to shift norms and institutions. Through a moderated discussion, panelists will explore practical strategies such as gender transformative leadership models, transparent parity targets, inclusive recruitment and mentorship pipelines, flexible funding for women led organizations, and accountability mechanisms that link gender equality commitments to concrete changes in policy and practice. The session will feature voices from the Global South and from early and mid career leaders, inviting participants to reflect critically on their own spheres of influence and to leave with specific, actionable commitments to advance women’s leadership within their institutions, partnerships, and communities. This session is proposed as a panel discussion (ie “fireside chat” with a facilitated dialogue and audience Q&A). Invited speakers are in the process of being identified and are pending final confirmation for inclusion in this session proposal.