17-20 July 2023 | Kigali, Rwanda

Women Deliver 2023 Conference

Where the world comes together to advance Gender Equality

Two conference delegates engaged in dialogue on stage at the Women Deliver 2019 Conference.

Read the Post Conference Report

WD2023 was co-designed and co-created to be the most inclusive, diverse, accessible, and consultative Women Deliver Conference yet.

Read the report here

Discover Insights from Stakeholders

We are pleased to share an independent evaluation of the Women Deliver 2023 Conference (WD2023) conducted by Althaë Strategy: the WD2023 After-Action Review (AAR).

Read the report here

The Women Deliver 2023 Conference was filled with extraordinary energy. Together, we harnessed our collective experiences, power, rage — but above all, hope — to galvanize change.

Check out the WD2023 Photos!

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Kigali for the Women Deliver 2023 Conference! You can find photos from the Pre-Conferences and Conference in our Flickr account.

See the photo albums here
Group photo of several people at the Women Deliver 2023 Conference.
Photo of Women Deliver 2023 Conference delegates at the Youth Zone.

The Women Deliver Plenary Stage brought together the most powerful voices of the feminist community in all its diversity.

  • Sima Bahous

    She/her
    Executive Director UN Women Read Full Bio
  • Jeannette Bayisenge

    Minister of Gender and Family Promotion Rwanda Read Full Bio
  • Helen Clark

    Former Prime Minister New Zealand Read Full Bio
  • Natalia Kanem

    Executive Director UNFPA Read Full Bio
  • H.E. Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

    Former Executive Director UN Women Read Full Bio
  • Malala Yousafzai

    She/her
    Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Co-Founder Malala Fund Read Full Bio
Organization
UN Women
Position
Executive Director

Sima Bahous

Sima is a champion for women and girls, gender equality, and youth empowerment, as well as a keen advocate for quality education, poverty alleviation, and inclusive governance. Sima brings more than 35 years of leadership experience at the grassroots, national, regional, and international levels, coupled with expertise in advancing women’s empowerment and rights, addressing discrimination and violence, and promoting sustainable socio-economic development towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Organization
Rwanda
Position
Minister of Gender and Family Promotion

Jeannette Bayisenge

Jeannette has served as the Director of the Centre for Gender Studies and Associate Professor of Gender Studies at the University of Rwanda. She also served as the President of the National Women’s Council. She holds a Ph.D in Social Work with a Gender focus from the University of Gothenburg, a Master’s degree in Development Cooperation with specialization in Women and Development from Ewha Woman’s University in South Korea, and a bachelor degree in Social Work from the National University of Rwanda.

Organization
New Zealand
Position
Former Prime Minister

Helen Clark

Helen Clark is a respected global leader in sustainable development, gender equality, and international cooperation. She served three successive terms as Prime Minister of New Zealand between 1999 and 2008. She then became UNDP Administrator for two terms, the first woman to lead the organization. She chairs the boards of the Extractive Industries Transparency Organisation, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, and other public good organizations and initiatives, and is a board member of Women Deliver.

Organization
UNFPA
Position
Executive Director

Natalia Kanem

Natalia has dedicated her life to improving the health and lives of women and children by championing their rights and choices, leveraging 30 years of experience in science, public health, and philanthropy to advance reproductive health and rights and uphold human dignity. As United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, Natalia oversees its life-saving policy, development, and humanitarian work in over 120 countries to assure that “every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.”

Organization
UN Women
Position
Former Executive Director

H.E. Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

Having dedicated her life to bringing an end to Apartheid, Phumzile became the first woman to hold the position of Deputy President of South Africa. She continues to be engaged with organizations committed to education, women’s empowerment, and gender equality, such as the Global Partnership and Fund to End Violence Against Children (Board Member), African Leadership Academy (Member of the Advisory Board), the Mandela Rhodes Foundation (Board of Trustees), and Women Deliver (Board Chair). She is the Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Founder of the Umlambo Foundation.

Organization
Malala Fund
Position
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Co-Founder

Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist, UN Messenger of Peace, and the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. As co-founder of Malala Fund, she is building a world where every girl can learn and lead without fear.

About WD2023

The theme, vision, and objectives of the Conference were selected by the WD2023 Advisory Group, in consultation with over 5,000 advocates who participated in design sprints and Women Deliver’s Global Community Consultation.

Learn more
Dome of the Kigali Convention Center, in Kigali, Rwanda, modeled to represent the shape of the former Rwandan king’s palace.
Dome of the Kigali Convention Center