At a critical juncture marked by rising global instability and increasing pressure on women’s rights, Women Deliver has unveiled the programme for its 2026 conference, positioning it as a pivotal convening to drive the next phase of action on gender equality.
Scheduled to hold in Narrm (Melbourne) from April 27 to 30, the conference will bring together global leaders, policymakers, advocates and development partners to align priorities, mobilise resources and accelerate systemic change.
Over four days, the conference will feature a series of high-level plenaries designed to move beyond dialogue to concrete commitments, institutional reform and sustained implementation. Organisers emphasise that the programme is structured to catalyse measurable outcomes across sectors.
Beyond plenary sessions, the broader programme includes 12 pre-conferences and more than 100 concurrent sessions, providing platforms for in-depth engagement, cross-sector collaboration and knowledge exchange.
The pre-conferences, scheduled for April 26 and 27, will focus on priority areas such as ending sexual and gender-based violence and female genital mutilation/cutting, advancing adolescent girls’ leadership, strengthening First Nations leadership and global solidarity, youth leadership, climate justice, LGBTI inclusion, feminist funding and inclusive data systems.
Concurrent sessions will further expand the discourse, addressing themes including gender equality, human rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, bodily autonomy, political participation, Indigenous sovereignty, climate justice and financing for feminist movements.
According to organisers, the programme reflects the scale and urgency of contemporary challenges from conflict and climate pressures to shrinking civic space and constrained funding while reinforcing gender equality as central to progress across health systems, economic development and democratic governance.
At the core of the conference is a defining question: how to realign power, resources and accountability to deliver justice for women, girls and gender-diverse populations.
Among the programme highlights is the opening ceremony, Change Calls Us Here, which will centre First Nations and Pacific leadership while signalling renewed global political commitment to gender equality. The session will also introduce a declaration aimed at rebuilding systems to better serve women and girls.
Another key plenary, From Resistance to Renewal: Seizing the Moment to Build a Feminist Future, will examine strategies for transitioning from defensive advocacy to proactive system-building, particularly in a global climate shaped by rising authoritarianism and rights erosion.
A dedicated focus on adolescent girls will be advanced through Girls at the Center: Power, Voice, and Investment, which calls on governments and institutions to shift from symbolic inclusion to shared power, accountability and sustained financial commitment.
The conference will feature a diverse lineup of global and regional leaders, including Katy Gallagher, Jacinda Ardern, Helen Clark, Julia Gillard and Women Deliver CEO Maliha Khan, reflecting a convergence of political, policy and movement leadership.
Registrations for Women Deliver 2026 are open, with delegates expected to engage across plenaries, pre-conferences and concurrent sessions designed to translate dialogue into coordinated action and long-term impact.
