Day 2 Agenda

African organizations have made notable progress on diversity and inclusion, resulting in more women becoming CEOs, joining boards and in high-level government positions. Yet, women’s prospects in the workplace are far from equal to men’s, and women’s increased power may not always equal increased influence in decision making. This session will draw on experiences in the private sector, media and health community to explore steps African organizations must take for a new workplace normal grounded in equality.

• Ayoade Alakija, Former Chief Humanitarian Coordinator, Nigeria
• Joan Benson, Executive Director, Public Health Partnerships, Global Vaccines Public Policy, MSD
• Sazini Mojapelo, Managing Executive, Corporate Citizenship, Absa Group
• Kiki Mordi, Journalist & Filmmaker
• Moderated by Joannie Bewa, Family Medicine Physician & Research Associate, University of South Florida College of Public Health; Board Chair, Women in Global Health

There is growing attention to the role that technology can play in improving access to health care and driving social inclusion in Africa – but to benefit women, these technologies must be designed for and by them. This session will engage African women leading cutting-edge innovations, to discuss how technology can transform lives across the continent.

• Temie Giwa-Tubosun, Founder & CEO, LifeBank Nigeria
• Cathy Mwangi, Founder & CEO, mHealth Kenya
• Nneile Nkholise, Co-founder, iMed Tech
• Nekesa Were, Director of Strategy, AfriLabs
• Moderated by Bonita Beatrice Nanziri, Founder, AfriGal Tech

Despite their critical role in Africa’s health and development, women remain significantly underrepresented in the continent’s leading scientific institutions. This session will explore barriers that women face to entering and staying within the scientific field, incentives for young women to pursue a scientific career, and the importance of scientific innovations for and by women.

• Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Associate Scientific Director CAPRISA & Professor in Clinical Epidemiology, Columbia University
• Tom Kariuki, Director of Programmes/AESA Platform, The African Academy of Sciences
• Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, African Population & Health Research Center (APHRC)
• Yumna Moosa, PhD Student, KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP)
• Moderated by Alex Coutinho, Chair of the Board, International Partnership for Microbicides

Taboos around key issues including sexuality, menstruation and female genital mutilation/cutting continue to hinder progress toward gender equality and health goals. This session will engage leading activists and media personalities on how they have helped bring these “unmentionable” subjects into the light, and why continuing to do so is imperative to advancing and reaching more women in global health.

• Jaha Dukureh, CEO and Founder, Safe Hands for Girls
• King Kaka, Rapper and Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Activist
• Barbara Kemigisa, Motivational Speaker and Activist
• Alesandra Ogeta, Director of Programs, Jinsiangu
• Redi Tlhabi, Journalist, Moderator and Author
• Moderated by Adelle Onyango, Founder, Adelle Onyango Initiative

Great ideas come from many sources: working in the field and clinic, reading and just experiencing life.  Being able to test those ideas, however, requires raising funds. This session will engage participants in how to operationalize their ideas and present them in a convincing format to funding agencies.

• Pam Factor-Litvak, Professor of Epidemiology, Vice Chair for Research of the Department of Epidemiology and Associate Dean for Research Resources at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University