WomenLift Health Conference History

The first Women Leaders in Global Health Conference was held at Stanford University in 2017 and continues to take place around the world.
2021 Conference

5th Annual Women Leaders in Global Health Conference

Hosted Virtually
November 15-16, 2021

WomenLift Health convened the fifth annual Women Leaders in Global Health (WLGH) Conference on 15-16 November 2021. The theme of the conference was Reimagining Leadership: centering diverse women and girls in health, catalyzing institutional change, optimizing pathways to leadership, and building integrated and resilient health systems. More than 2,000 participants from 90+ countries participated in the 2021 Conference.

WLGH 2020

4th Annual Women Leaders in Global Health Conference

Hosted Virtually
October 13-15, 2020

More than 2,000 participants from 50 countries participated in the 2020 Women Leaders in Global Health Conference. The virtual format provided an opportunity to reach a broader audience, elevate new voices and facilitate geography-specific discussion, while maintaining the sense of global community, learning and passion that has characterized the conferences since their start.

The theme to Connect | Commit | Act brought us together to shape a world where diverse women have a seat at the decision-making table. Watch the videos to experience some of the highlights of 2020’s conference.

WLGH 2019

3rd Annual Women Leaders in Global Health Conference

Hosted at the Rwanda Kigali Convention Center

November 9-10, 2019

The 2019 WLGH Conference convened speakers and participants from diverse sectors in global health. The two-day event featured plenary sessions, panel discussions, interactive leadership and skill-building workshops, and opportunities for networking and mentoring. The robust agenda was filled with relevant and thought-provoking conversations meant to inspire dialogue around the leadership challenges facing females working in global health. Specific topics included global trends and developments, as well as the role of stakeholders in promoting women leadership within global health.

WLGH 2018

2nd Annual Women Leaders in Global Health Conference

Hosted at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

November 8-9, 2018

The 2018 WLGH Conference brought together established and emerging leaders from across sectors and cultures to work towards gender equity in health leadership and to improve health for all. The two-day conference was packed with talks, panel discussions, interactive workshops, skills sessions and more. Topics centered around applying a gender lens on organizational and political leadership, the global burden of disease, emergency responses, and more. 

WLGH 2017

1st Annual Women Leaders in Global Health Conference

Hosted at Stanford University School of Medicine

October 12, 2017

The 2017 Women Leaders in Global Health (WLGH) Conference was hosted at the Stanford University School of Medicine. A one-day conference highlighting emerging and established women leaders in global health, the goal of the event was to provide opportunities for participants to encounter cutting-edge thinking in global health, network with potential mentors and collaborators in the field, as well as build leadership skills and wrestle with how to advance women as a force in global health leadership.

Several years ago, Dr. Michele Barry envisioned gatherings of  global health leaders working for gender diversity in health care to share best practices, identify ways to collaborate, and inspire each other and the next generation of advocates. The first Women Leaders in Global Health (WLGH) Conference was held at Stanford University on Oct. 12, 2017, and continues to take place around the world. Read more about the origins of the WLGH conferences here.

“WLGH conferences catalyze meaningful intergenerational  and intersectional dialogue around the barriers and successes for careers in global health. It is THE place to have safe and  honest conversations with senior women leaders, as well hear young voices in global health.” – Dr. Michele Barry, Founder of WomenLift Health & WLGH Conferences

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