Women Deliver 2026 has released its conference program, with organisers positioning the Melbourne event as a place for governments, advocates and community leaders to confront the growing pressure facing women’s rights around the world.
The conference will take place in Narrm, Melbourne, from April 27 to 30, bringing together political leaders, activists, researchers and organisations working across gender equality, health, climate, education and human rights.
Organisers say the four-day event is designed to move beyond broad discussion and focus on practical commitments, policy reform and shared action.
Alongside the main plenary sessions, the conference will feature 12 pre-conferences and more than 100 concurrent sessions.
The pre-conferences, running across April 26 and 27, will focus on issues including sexual and gender-based violence, female genital mutilation and cutting, adolescent girls’ leadership, First Nations leadership, youth leadership, climate justice, LGBTI inclusion, feminist funding and the use of inclusive data.
Concurrent sessions will cover a wide range of issues, including political participation, sexual and reproductive health and rights, bodily autonomy, Indigenous sovereignty, climate action and financing for feminist movements.
The conference comes as women’s rights organisations in many countries report increasing pressure from political instability, armed conflict, reduced funding and restrictions on civic participation.
Women Deliver says the program is intended to respond to these pressures while asking a broader question about how power, responsibility and resources can be shared more fairly.
The opening ceremony, titled Change Calls Us Here, will centre on First Nations leadership and voices from across the Pacific. Organisers say it will also introduce a declaration intended to guide future work on gender equality.
One of the headline sessions, From Resistance to Renewal: Seizing the Moment to Build a Feminist Future, will examine how women’s rights movements can respond to rising authoritarianism, shrinking resources and attacks on civil liberties.
Another key session, Girls at the Center: Power, Voice, and Investment, will focus on the role of adolescent girls in shaping public policy and community leadership.
The program argues that girls and young women are often included in public conversations without being given decision-making power or long-term financial support.
Additional plenary sessions will cover topics such as Indigenous feminist leadership, bodily autonomy, climate justice, feminist funding, conflict and accountability, economic systems and the future of multilateral cooperation.
One session, Building Economies that Deliver: Care, Public Services, and Shared Prosperity, will look at how unpaid care work and public services are treated within national economies.
Another, Beyond Resilience: Climate Justice on the Road to COP31, will focus on the role of women and Indigenous communities in responding to climate change.
The program also reflects ongoing debates around funding for gender equality work. Many organisations in the sector have warned that short-term grants and changing political priorities can make it difficult to sustain long-term programs.
Supporters of events such as Women Deliver argue that international conferences help build partnerships, share ideas and push governments toward action.
Critics, however, have often questioned whether large gatherings translate into lasting policy change, particularly when commitments are not backed by funding or measurable outcomes.
Women Deliver Chief Executive Officer Dr. Maliha Khan is expected to appear alongside political and policy figures including Senator Katy Gallagher, Dame Jacinda Ardern, Helen Clark and Julia Gillard.
Registrations for Women Deliver 2026 are now open, with delegates expected from across government, civil society, philanthropy and the private sector.
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