Professor Sarah Hawkes dreams of a world where all people have the opportunity to thrive. The medical doctor and director of the Centre for Gender and Global Health at University College London, reflects on the legacy of the Beijing Declaration and the 1995 Beijing Women’s Conference — a space that united all people and empowered generations of women. The Gender Sessions is a new series, presented in partnership with Global Health 50/50. It explores the human stories behind gender and health.

Progress is never a straight path forward. Anna Purdie, the Global Health 50/50 Program Manager, reflects on International Women’s Day and the legacy of the Beijing Women’s Conference. She emphasizes how both events compel us to further safeguard the progress we’ve made. The Gender Sessions is a new series, presented in partnership with Global Health 50/50. It explores the human stories behind gender and health.

The Gender Sessions is a new series, presented in partnership by The China Current and Global Health 50/50. It explores the human stories behind gender, health and equality — and honors the work of women, men and gender nonconforming people everywhere. In the run-up to International Women's Day, we spoke to some of the experts extending that legacy including Dr. Zahra Zeinali, an Iranian physician who is based in Berlin. She looks back at the Beijing Women's Conference, a landmark event in 1995 that provided a platform for action and unleashed liberation movements globally. Special thanks to Global Health 50/50 and its co-directors, Professor Dr. Sarah Hawkes and Professor Kent Buse.