Speakers:
Dr. Flavia Bustreo – GWL Voices member
Ms. Helen Clark – GWL Voices member, PMNCH member
Mr. Rajat Khosla – PMNCH
Dr. Revati Phalkey – Director of the United Nations University Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH)
Ms. Merette Khalil – Founder, YourEgyptianDoula
Dr. Magda Róbalo – President of Women in Global Health
Ms. Clara Cabrera Brasero – Deputy Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations in Geneva
Moderator
Ms. Katherine Urbáez, Executive Director of the Health Diplomacy Alliance
Main Discussion
The Her Turn: Women’s Leadership and Diplomacy for Gender-Responsive Global Health side event, held during the 79th World Health Assembly, convened to address the persistent exclusion of women from decision-making in the health sector. Speakers emphasized that despite women comprising 70 – 80% of the health workforce, they remain significantly underrepresented in leadership roles and diplomatic processes. The event highlighted that current global health architecture often overlooks gender-responsive policies, leading to a critical disconnect between the people most affected by health systems and the structures governing them.
Participants discussed the necessity of shifting from mere commitments to concrete implementation through feminist foreign policies. Lucia ChiCote of Spain’s permanent mission underscored Spain’s commitment to a feminist foreign policy that prioritizes sexual and reproductive health as a component of universal public health. Panelists argued that gender equality should not be treated as an ideological preference but as a strategic investment in global stability and resilience. The discussion highlighted the importance of leveraging regional alliances and institutional tracks, such as the Universal Periodic Review, to maintain progress despite geopolitical deadlocks and shrinking development assistance.
Moving forward, the event underscored the urgent need for intergenerational leadership and the meaningful inclusion of frontline workers, particularly midwives and young women, in policy dialogues. Leaders advocated for moving beyond tokenism by challenging power structures and demanding accountability for gender-responsive outcomes.
The session concluded with a call to action for participants to push for transformative leadership within global health institutions, such as the World Health Organization, where women have historically held the top leadership position less than one-fifth of the time. Ultimately, the event served as a platform to demand that institutional governance reflects the lived realities of the women and marginalized groups who are the primary users and providers of global health care.
Emphasis was placed on the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy, hosted by Spain in Madrid on 2 and 3 June 2026 under the theme Building Peace and Democracy. The Conference reaffirmed that gender equality, women’s leadership, and feminist foreign policy are essential pillars for strengthening multilateralism, advancing peace, and building more inclusive and democratic institutions. These shared priorities reinforce the importance of continuing to elevate women’s voices and leadership across global health diplomacy.
