Partners: The Lancet, The National Cancer Institute, ecancer, GENDRO, and the Gender Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute
The Global Launch of the Commission report on Women, Power, and Cancer, was co-hosted by GENDRO, alongside other partners, at the Geneva Graduate Institute. The report investigates the intersection of women, power, and cancer, beyond the scope of “women’s cancers” and explores various aspects of cancer experiences among women, considering factors such as gender bias and discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The Lancet Commission’s approach is firmly grounded in intersectional feminism. This framework places women’s concerns, voices, and needs at the core of its work. Importantly, this approach doesn’t exclude men but aims to generate evidence that truly reflects the complexity and diversity of women’s experiences.
The launch event featured presentations of key findings and recommendations, by Dr Ophira Ginsburg, NICC, Lead Commissioner, aimed at inspiring real-world action for transformational change. Following her, Dr Shirin Heidari, president of GENDRO and a commissioner to the report, offered remarks on the critical contribution of the intersectional feminist approach to advancing cancer research, prevention, diagnosis and care. She emphasized the need to bring feminism back into conversations about health, especially cancer. Feminism can serve as a powerful lens through which to examine health disparities, and strive for social change and justice.
Distinguished speakers joining the panels, included Ophira Ginsburg, Shirin Heidari, Isabelle Soerjomataram, Verna Vanderpuye, Nirmala Bhoo-Pathy, Somesh Kumar, Jennifer Moodley, Karla Unger-Saldaña, Jérôme Salomon, Monica Bertagnolli, Kalipso Chalkidou, Lynette Denny, Bente Mikkelsen, and Micaela Serafini facilitated by Vania Coelho Wisdom and Richard Horton, The Lancet.
Event website: here.
Recording: (Embed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QFGdyGJD_0
Commission Report: here.
The Commission website: https://womenandcancercommission.org