#SAGER10 : Accelerating Gender Equity in Science
Speech by Ms Anne de Riedmatten, Deputy Director of International Affairs to mark the SAGER 10th anniversary event at the Gender Centre at the Graduate Institute
18 May 2026
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Colleagues and Partners,
On behalf of the Canton of Geneva, I would like to warmly thank GENDRO, the Gender Centre at the Graduate Institute, and the European Association of Science Editors for this invitation and for giving me the opportunity to say a few words today.
📍 Geneva welcomes the SAGER 10th anniversary event alongside the 79th World Health Assembly, continuing its long-standing tradition at the crossroads of global health, science, and multilateral diplomacy.
🌍 International Geneva offers a truly unique ecosystem. It brings together United Nations agencies, including the World Health Organization, global health partnerships, research institutions, NGOs, academic actors, and diplomatic missions. This exceptional concentration of expertise creates a powerful platform for dialogue, cooperation, and collective action toward shared global goals.
🤝 As one of the world’s leading centers for global health governance, Geneva plays a key role in shaping international health policies, fostering scientific collaboration, and promoting coordinated responses to global health challenges. The organizations based here contribute not only to advancing planetary health and research on rare and neglected diseases, but also to improving healthcare access for the most vulnerable populations.
The Canton of Geneva is proud to support many of these initiatives and institutions.
⚖️ This discussion today is especially important now, at a time of growing tensions around gender, science, and multilateralism, when protecting and advancing progress through cooperation is more necessary than ever.
In this context, initiatives such as the SAGER guidelines are more important than ever, as they help ensure that scientific research remains inclusive, evidence-based, and responsive to the needs of all populations. These guidelines, as a global framework to promote better and more inclusive research that advances better health for everyone, everywhere, have already shown tremendous potential.
👏 This is an opportunity to congratulate the authors and the organizations behind its tremendous success, while also looking ahead to a new decade of strengthened cooperation to help close the gender evidence gap in global health and leave no one behind.
In Geneva, we strongly believe that innovation and partnerships are essential drivers of women’s health and health equity.
Allow me to share with you a few examples of successful initiatives we have supported in this field, which has relied on gender responsive evidence to make them successful.
🩺 One example is the cervical cancer prevention program led by the Geneva University Hospitals in Cameroon between 2018 and 2023. Through an innovative “Test, Triage and Treatment” approach, supported by AI-assisted diagnostics, more than 8,000 women were screened and over 780 treated in a single day. This technology has helped save lives by enabling earlier detection, strengthening prevention efforts, and ensuring timely treatment. Beyond technology, the project also focused on training local healthcare professionals to ensure long-term sustainability and local ownership.
👩🏽⚕️ We also believe that women are key drivers of innovation in health systems. As evidence shows, having women in leadership and research teams leads to more gender inclusive science and innovation.
Through initiatives supported by Geneva-based platforms such as Health Innovation Exchange, the Canton has helped women entrepreneurs from Chad, Nigeria, and Uganda participate in international health discussions, including the World Health Assembly and innovation forums. This initiative highlights locally driven and context-specific health solutions designed and led by women. Supporting women-led solutions is essential to building resilient and inclusive health systems.
🌱 Another inspiring example is the work of the Global Surgery Foundation in Nigeria, strengthening emergency obstetric care in regions facing extremely high maternal mortality rates. Through this initiative, we have also supported the training of women surgeons specialized in obstetric care, contributing to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality. This initiative perfectly illustrates the value of triangular cooperation: Geneva-based expertise, WHO standards, and local African leadership working together to address urgent global health challenges.
🌐 Finally, at a time when multilateralism is facing significant challenges, the Canton of Geneva remains fully committed to supporting international cooperation. We believe in the relevance and added value of multilateral governance in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges we face today. Through the newly created Foundation for the Adaptation of International Geneva, we aim to help the unique Geneva ecosystem — and in particular international organizations and NGOs like GENDRO — adapt to a rapidly evolving global environment.
✨ We believe this period of uncertainty can also become an opportunity — an opportunity to rethink global governance, strengthen collaboration, and build more inclusive responses to the challenges of the 21st century, with gender equality continuing to play a central role.
Thank you for your attention.
Only the spoken text shall prevail