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Women in Global Health (WGH) is a women-led, chapter-driven global movement advancing women’s leadership and gender equity across health systems and beyond. What began as a volunteer-led initiative with no funding has grown into a global organization with 65 chapters across 60 countries and over 100,000 supporters, rooted in local leadership and connected to global decision-making spaces.
We are nurses, midwives, doctors, pharmacists, researchers, community health workers, public health professionals, policymakers, and private-sector health leaders; united by a shared commitment to advancing gender equity and strengthening health systems worldwide.
Women in Global Health is advancing a five-year strategic plan designed to convert evidence into institutional adoption and measurable systems change. Our strategy is anchored in three outcome pillars:
Gender-Transformative Leadership
By 2030, institutions will adopt and implement gender-transformative leadership reforms, embedding accountability tools, institutional reform mechanisms, and public scorecards that shift who leads and how leadership functions.
Safe & Decent Workplaces
By 2030, institutions will implement minimum standards for safe and decent work, including strengthened prevention and reporting systems on sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (SEAH), resulting in safer and more equitable health workplaces.
Leadership in UHC & PPPR
By 2030, countries systematically integrate gender into Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response (PPPR) decision-making, ensuring gender equity informs national and global health security frameworks.
WGH Philippines
Founded in January 2022, WGH Philippines focuses on three activities (Research, Mentorship, and Advocacy) and instill a learning process in this work. The emphasis and thematic focus could evolve as we improve our understanding of Filipino women’s participation in public health.
The Chapter is Co-Convened by Kim Sales and Chiqui de Veyra.
WGH Philippines is hosted by the Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes (AIHO).
Key Accomplishments and Activities
2026
With AIHO, 101HealthResearch, and the National Association of Public Health Nurses, Inc, held an online webinar “NURSING AT THE FRONTLINE OF CHANGE: Digital Disruption, Climate Stress, and the Future of Nursing Work in the Philippines” on 21 May 2026.
WGH Ph launch a podcast "Her & Now: Stories from Women in Public Health" spotlighting the voices and stories of women and how gender, power, care, and leadership intersect in our health systems.
Kim Sales and Lynnell Ong, with contributions from Jem Sigua and Gillian Garcia, wrote an article for Science Politics "Gender Equality Laws Alone Won’t Fix Who Leads Health".
2025
Kim Sales was selected as a Board Member of Women in Global Health on 17 February 2025.
WGH member Katherine Ann Reyes was honored in The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service 2025.
2024
Kim Sales served as one of the panelists for the session “Advancing the Representation and Rights of Health and Care Workers in Global Health Governance to Strengthen Women’s Economic Security” at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference on 23 January 2024.
WGH Philippines was selected to be part of Global Health Council’s Health Equity Working Group.
WGH Philippines published an article “Breaking barriers and claiming space: career insights and advice from Filipino women leaders in health” for the Philippine Journal of Health Research and Development.
Analyne Rapa Ignacio, Kim Sales, and Reiner Lorenzo Tamayo wrote an opinion piece for Think Global Health “Seeking gender equality in the global health workforce”.
With members from WGH Zimbabwe, WGH Palestine, and WGH Australia, the chapter was part of a panel entitled "Elevating Gender Equity in Global Health Security”at the Global Health Security Conference held on 20 June 2024 in Sydney, Australia.
Paula Valera served as one of the panelists for WGH South Africa’s webinar "Financing for the Mental Health Agenda" on 10 October 2024.
The chapter represented Women in Global Health at the 75th WHO WPRO Regional Committee Meeting.
Lynnell Ong presented a poster on the WGH Philippines study entitled "Advancing women’s leadership in the Philippine health sector: A policy review" at the 8th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research held on 18-22 November 2024 in Nagasaki, Japan.
"Advancing women’s leadership in the Philippine health sector: A policy review" was published in the Review of Women’s Studies in November 2024.
2023
Kim Sales was part of WGH's in-person delegation to the 76th World Health Assembly.
Katherine Ann Reyes was selected as a Harvard LEAD Fellow for the 2023-2024 cohort.
The chapter represented Women in Global Health at the 74th WHO WPRO Regional Committee Meeting and delivered a statement on health security.
Kim Sales wrote a blog piece for Speaking of Medicine and Health “Transforming global health at WHA76: are inclusive voices truly heard?”
Martha de la Paz, Gillian Garcia, and Kim Sales wrote an opinion piece for Rappler “Beyond Pride: Addressing Health Inequities for LGBTQIA+ Filipinos’’.
2022
WGH Ph was formally launched during the World Health Worker Week on 4-8 April 2022.
Lynnell Alexie Ong was chosen as one of WGH’s delegates to the 75th World Health Assembly.
Martha de la Paz represented the country chapter in the historic WGH Peer to Peer Event in Nairobi, Kenya held on 24-28 September 2022.
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