WHO at Women Deliver 2023

16 – 20 July 2023
Kigali, Rwanda

Recognizing the critical importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality and people’s universal right to health, WHO and HRP are participating in the Women Deliver 2023 conference taking place in Kigali, Rwanda, 17-20 July, 2023.  

This event takes place every three years, convened by Women Deliver, a global advocacy network championing gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women. The 2023 theme is: Creating Spaces, Solidarity, and Solutions.   

Meet the WHO team at booth number S-52 in the Square Tent at the Kigali Convention Centre and join in on the activities below which are either organized by WHO and partners, or feature WHO experts.

Find the right WHO and HRP tools

At Women Deliver 2023, find the right WHO and HRP tools to help you in your work to advance health, rights and gender equality for all.

SRHR Resource Finder – side with science!

 Sunday 16 July 

Care and the Health Workforce
08:30-17:00 – Pre-Conference: 
Location: Kigali Serena Hotel (invite only)

  • Hosts: Women Deliver
  • WHO speaker:  Dr Shakira Choonara

Thinking Outside the Docs”: Non-Health Sector Linkages with Education, Economic Empowerment, Climate Change and Family Planning & Sexual and Reproductive Health
09:00-17:00 – Pre-Conference: (Reception to follow)
Location: Ubumwe Grand Hotel, Room TBD

  • Hosts: WHO/IBP Network and Share-Net International
  • Open to all including those not registered for Women Deliver
  • Register: Use this link by 12 July to register.

Scaling Up Actions to End Preventable Maternal Deaths: Linkages with Family Planning, Safe Abortion Care and the Health Workforce”

08:30-12:30 – Pre-Conference 
Location: Kigali Marriot Hotel Ballroom (limited space available)

  • Host: UNFPA
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Pascale Allotey

Catalyzing Global Action to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)
08:30-17:00 – Pre-Conference
invite only)

Hosts: Orchid Project, ARROW, The Global Platform to End FGM/C, End FGM European Network, Sahiyo, Equality Now, Amref Health Africa, The Girl Generation, IPPF ARAB World Region, U.S. End FGM/C Network, and End FGM Canada Network

  • WHO speaker:  Dr Christina Pallitto 
 Monday 17 July 

Preventing and responding to violence against women: from evidence to action

09:00-12:30 – Pre-Conference
Location: Ubumwe Grande Hotel, Room Kivu 1&2 

 Tuesday 18 July 

Gender equality in the era of multiple crises
08:30-10:00 – Plenary
Location: Kigali Convention Centre

  • Hosts: Women Deliver
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (by video)

Fighting the gender pay gap in the health and care sector
09:30-11:00 – Concurrent Session
Location: Kigali Convention Centre, MH3.1  

  • Hosts: EPIC (ILO/OECD/UN Women) Canada, WHO 
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Michelle McIsaac

10:00-12:00 – Booth session (S-52): Learn more about the WHO/IBP Network

12:00-13:00 – Booth session (S-52): Violence against women prevention and response: Evidence-based tools

Tackling gender-based violence in the city 
13:30-15:00 – Concurrent Session
Location: Kigali Convention Centre, M3.1

  • Hosts: CHANGE/ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Avni Amin

Abortion is health care: UHC best practices from politics to provision
13:30-15:00 – Concurrent Session
Location: Kigali Convention Centre, M1.1.

  • Hosts: SheDecides for GSAD
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Bela Ganatra

14:00-15:30 – Booth session (S-52) – Decolonizing birth: Showcasing PAHO’s culturally safe birth tool

15:30-18:00 – Booth session (S-52) – Let’s talk about sex!

WHO’s Health for All Film Festival: winning stories of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
15:30-16:00 – Arts & Film Festival, special collection
Location: Kigali Convention Centre

  • Hosts: Women Deliver/WHO
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Pascale Allotey

A comprehensive approach to FGM prevention and care
17:30-19:00 – Side Event
Location: Kigali Convention Centre, AD12.1

  • Hosts: WHO
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Christina Pallitto

20 years of the Maputo Protocol: Celebrating gains for abortion rights and access in Africa
17:30-19:00 – Side Event
Location: Kigali Convention Centre, AD10.2

  • Hosts: Le centre ODAS, Africa Coalition for Safe Abortion, ACHPR
  • WHO will present key findings

The Forward Fight: Our Global Work for Reproductive Rights 
19:30-21:00 – Reception
Location: Kigali Marriot Hotel – Muhazi and Virunga Room (invite only)

  • Hosts: Center for Reproductive Rights
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Pascale Allotey

Energizing Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration for Gender Responsive UHC
19:30-21:00 – Side Event
Location: Kigali Convention Centre, Room AD11

  • Hosts: The Alliance for Gender Equality and Universal Health Coverage
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Michelle McIsaac

Destigmatising women’s health: Collaborative action to tackle stigma in women’s health globally
19:30-21:00 – Side Event
Location: Ubumwe Grande Hotel 

  • Hosts: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Anna Coates
  Wednesday 19 July  

Coming up Roses – Cultivating Donor Support for Gender Equality 
07:00-08:30 – Side Event
Location: Kigali Convention Centre, AD10.1

    • Hosts: Chroma Collective
    • WHO Speaker: Evelyn Boy-Mena

09:00-10:00 – Booth session (S-52): SRHR-UHC Learning by Sharing Portal

10:00-11:00 – Booth session (S-52): The best-kept secret in SRHR research: who is HRP? Meet Director Dr Pascale Allotey

11:00-12:00 – Booth session (S-52): Showcasing the new sex and gender resources for research hub

12:00-13:30 – Booth session (S-52): WHO’s work on sexual and reproductive health and rights in Rwanda  

Feminist solutions to addressing inequities and discrimination for enhanced health outcomes
10:45-12:00 – Virtual.

  • Hosts: WHO,  GNP/GCM, George Institute for Global Health 
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Dr Svetlana Axelrod

Beyond our reproductive potential: the future of women’s sexual health
13:30-15:00 – Concurrent Session
Location: Kigali Convention Centre, MH3.2 

  • Hosts: WHO
  • WHO Speaker: Dr Lianne Gonsalves

 

16:00-17-00: Booth session (S-52) – WHO AFRO’s work on gender equality 

  Thursday 20 July  

08:30-10:00 – Booth session (S-52): Masculinities and SRHR: Is it more than engaging men and boys

10:00-12:00 – Booth session (S-52):Two sessions on abortion

  • Abortion is health care – do you want to learn more on how you can use the WHO abortion care guidelines in your work on sexual and reproductive health and rights?
  • Do you want to change the abortion laws and policies in your country? Learn about the Global Abortion Policies Database