The COVID-19 crisis has been a stark reminder that global health is a fundamental security concern. The pandemic has exposed deep inequalities in health and social systems at global and national levels, including gender inequities, weakening our collective ability to tackle COVID-19 and generate improved health outcomes into the future. It is clear that the commitment made by governments to deliver Universal Health Coverage by 2030 is an essential prerequisite for global health security. Many lives will be lost to COVID-19 because gender disparities in the health workforce and wider society weaken our response. We can take steps now to build back better and bring the important conversation about equality and health into the international security arena.

Foreign Policy, in partnership with Women in Global Health and the Wagner Foundation, hosted a high-level digital summit to coincide with the 2020 UN General Assembly to illuminate the need for gender-transformative policy within global health security. Gender responsive policies, which challenge fundamental inequities, will strengthen global recovery from COVID-19 and support a “gender triple-dividend” — achieving gender and social equality, improved health and wellbeing, and inclusive economic growth.

Speakers:

  • President Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia
  • Ravi Agrawal, Managing Director, Foreign Policy
  • Anita Bhatia, Deputy Executive Director for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships, UN Women
  • James Chau, Goodwill Ambassador, World Health Organization
  • Roopa Dhatt MD, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Women in Global Health
  • H.E. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, Former President of the United Nations General Assembly
  • Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization
  • Anuradha Gupta, Deputy CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
  • Ilona Kickbusch, Founder and Chair of the Global Health Center, Graduate Institute of International Development Studies
  • Laura Petrella, Head of Planning, Economy and Finance Section, Urban Practices Branch, Global Solutions Division, UN Habitat
  • Ambassador Päivi Sillanaukee, MD, PhD, eMBA, Ambassador for Health and Well-Being, Finland
  • Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 Technical Lead, World Health Organization
  • Dr. Monique Vledder, Head of Secretariat, GFF
  • Charlotte Wagner, Founder and CEO, Wagner Foundation
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