Anita Zaidi

President Gender Equality Division

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Anita Zaidi is the President of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality division. Anita oversees the foundation’s efforts to achieve gender equality by integrating gender across the foundation’s global work and investing in women’s economic empowerment and women’s leadership.. _x000D_
Previously, Anita served as the chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at the Aga Khan University (AKU) in Karachi, Pakistan. _x000D_
Anita earned a medical degree at AKU and completed further training at Duke University, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Anita has published more than 200 research papers._x000D_

Event Schedule

DAY 1

18 July 2023

DAY 2

19 July 2023

Start Time	End Time	Session	Description	Action
02:30 pm EEST	04:00 pm EEST	From Attacks to Advancements: Charting the Path for SRHR in a Changing World Plenary KCC Auditorium	Watch the recording here The global health landscape has undergone significant shifts, impacting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), includling the Read More Watch the recording here The global health landscape has undergone significant shifts, impacting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), includling the emerging harmful anti-rights movements that hinder SRHR progress. Advocates, practitioners, multilateral leaders, private sector innovators and duty bearers will highlight the importance of bodily autonomy and reproductive justice. They will also share their insights on how to address urgent challenges in SRHR. Converstations will center on how to catalyze funding and expand our understanding of family planning, keeping bodily autonomy and its impact on personal agency, equality, and well-being at the forefront of much-needed global shifts. This will be followed by a fireside talk that will explore the far-reaching consequences of abortion restrictions and the women who are working to restore this crucial right. Together we will map sustained progress towards a world where everyone can make decisions about their own life and future. Opening: Jennie Joseph, Common Sense ChildBirth Moderator: Dr. Joannie Bewa, MD, MPH is a physician, researcher, global advocate for girls, women and reproductive health Group 1: Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director UNFPA Catalina Devandas Aguilar, Executive Director Disability Rights Fund (DRF) Group 2: Anita Zaidi, President of the Gender Equality Division, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Easter Okech, KEFEADO in Kenya Group 3: Samukeliso Dube, Executive Director FP2030 Kevin Ali, Chief Executive Officer Organon Minister Harjit Sajjan, Minister of International Development of Canada Fireside Chat (Abortion Rights): Dr. Angela Akol, Director IPAS Africa Alliance Ana Cristina Gonzalez Velez, Causa Justa Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights Read Less Speakers Reyusha Chalise SRHR Project Officer Beyond Beijing Committee Nepal Dr. Joannie Marlene Bewa Senior Health Researcher & Moderator Moderate the Panel Nancy Northup President and CEO Center for Reproductive Rights Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan Minister of International Development Global Affairs Canada, Government of Canada Ana Cristina González Vélez International Senior Specialist Causa Justa Anita Zaidi President Gender Equality Division The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Angela Akol, MD, PhD Director Ipas Africa Alliance Kevin Ali CEO Organon Catalina Devandas Executive Director Disability Rights Fund (DRF) Samukeliso Dube Executive Director FP2030 Natalia Kanem Executive Director UNFPA

Start Time	End Time	Session	Description	Action
02:30 pm EEST	04:00 pm EEST	Taking Action to Close the Gender Nutrition Gap Concurrent Room MH 1-1	Nutrition is a feminist issue. Women and girls bear the brunt of global malnutrition. Gender inequalities underlie why women and girls experience inadequate access to Read More Nutrition is a feminist issue. Women and girls bear the brunt of global malnutrition. Gender inequalities underlie why women and girls experience inadequate access to nutritious diets, nutrition services and poor practices. This session calls for urgent collective action to close the gender nutrition gap. It will showcase the latest evidence on women’s and girls’ nutrition from UNICEF’s flagship report, Undernourished and Overlooked: A Global Nutrition Crisis in Adolescent Girls and Women, and experiences from inspiring leaders and advocates, and launch a global co-created Action Agenda and campaign that calls for bold gender transformative actions to improve women’s and girls’ nutrition. Session format: Thought Leadership Organized by FHI 360, UNICEF, African Leaders for Nutrition, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, EngenderHealth, Micronutrient Forum, Nigeria Health Watch, Youth Advocate Read Less Speakers Rania Dagash-Kamara Deputy Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa UNICEF Saskia Osendarp Executive Director Micronutrient Forum Pauline Theresa Mapfumo Youth Advocate European Union Delegation (team Zimbabwe) Youth Sounding Board. Vivianne Ihekweazu Managing Director Nigeria Health Watch Ajay Khera Country Representative, India EngenderHealth Anita Zaidi President Gender Equality Division The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Speakers

contact@wd2023-conference.org