What happened at Women Deliver 2023?

Achieving Gender Equality in Burkina Faso: Spotlight on Challenging Issues.
2023’s Women Deliver, held in Kigali Rwanda, was the first event of its kind in Africa. Uniting to Combat NTDs was proud to attend, and support an event in conjunction with the former First Lady of Burkina Faso, Mme Sika Kabore, renowned leaders, medical professionals, champions and activists to explore achieving gender equality in Burkina Faso, and call for action and financing for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
Like many French-speaking countries in West Africa, Burkina Faso, despite limited resources, has invested heavily in Generation Equality, including sexual and reproductive health, and has made considerable progress in the fight against forgotten and neglected diseases that disproportionately affect women and girls.
At this side event we heard how Burkina Faso is progressing towards gender equality by tackling gender-based violence, gynaecological cancers, and NTDs including genital schistosomiasis (FGS), a debilitating disease estimated to affect over 50 million women and girls across Africa.
Esteemed panellists and contributors included:
Mme Secretary General of the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso, Dr Estelle Edith Dabire Dembele representing the former First Lady of Burkina Faso, Mme Sika Kabore
H.E. Dr Isatou Touray, Former Vice President of Republic of The Gambia
Professor Charlemagne Ouedraogo, Former Minister of Health of Burkina Faso and gynecologist
Mme Mariam Lamizana, former Women’s Promotion Minister, champion against FGM and President of CI-AF
Dr Euphrasie Adjami, gynecologist, focal point of Generation Equality
Mme Mariam Nonguierma, midwife, President of SRHR/NGO Coalition
Dr Narcisse Salembere, Executive Director of the KIMI Foundation and
Cecile Thiombiano, Advocacy Coordinator on SRHR for Africa Medecins du Monde-F