Women Deliver has today announced the first speakers confirmed for the Women Deliver 2026 Conference (WD2026), taking place in Narrm (Melbourne) from 27–30 April 2026.
Australia’s Federal Minister for Finance, Women, the Public Service and Government Services, Senator the Hon. Katy Gallagher, will join the WD2026 program, bringing senior national leadership at a time when progress on gender equality is under sustained pressure. A long-time advocate for women’s representation and gender-responsive governance, Minister Gallagher has helped ensure women are at the centre of decision-making, driving reforms that strengthen economic security and expand access to essential health and safety support for women.
She will be joined by Hon. Ruth Cross Kwansing, Kiribati’s Minister for Women, Youth, Sport and Social Affairs and the Pacific Islands Forum’s Political Champion for Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, and Hon. Michelle O’Byrne, Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, who leads Australia’s efforts to advance gender equality and women’s leadership across the Indo-Pacific.
Dr Fatima Maada Bio, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) will share her expertise on global action to prevent and heal from child sexual exploitation, abuse and violence.
Hon. Julia Gillard AC, Australia’s 27th Prime Minister and the first, and to date, only woman to serve in the role, will also take stage at WD2026. More than a decade on from her globally recognised speech confronting misogyny and sexism in politics, Gillard’s participation speaks to the enduring challenge of gendered power and the unfinished work of equality in leadership and public life.
She’ll be joined by Women Deliver board members Helen Clark, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Tulika Srivastava. Helen was Prime Minister of New Zealand for three successive terms between 1999 and 2008. She continues to be a strong voice for sustainable development, climate action, gender equality and women’s leadership, peace and justice, and action on pressing global health issues.
Phumzile is the former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. Throughout her career, she has directed her energy towards issues of human rights, and equality and social justice, with a specific emphasis on gender and youth development.
Tulika’s experience brings together working with rural women at the community level and the negotiation of international procedural treaties. At present, she brings a political lens to understanding power and resources, particularly in the context of shrinking civil spaces.
For the first time, the Women Deliver Conference is being regionally hosted, with the Oceanic Pacific shaping the agenda. The region faces some of the sharpest impacts of climate change, inequality, and under-investment in women and girls, while also being home to strong feminist, First Nations, and youth-led leadership rooted in generations of resistance.
As such, the speaker line up includes:
● Antoinette Braybrook AM, CEO of Djirra. A proud First Nations woman born in Wurundjeri Country, Antoinette brings a powerful combination of lived experience, community advocacy and systems-change leadership. Her work centers on preventing violence against Aboriginal women through Aboriginal-led solutions, which is a core principle of WD2026’s focus on intersectionality, self-determination and accountability.
● Noelene Nabulivou, Executive Director of DIVA for Equality in Nadi, Fiji, and Co-Chair of the WD2026 Oceanic Pacific Regional Steering Committee will also share her insights. She is a long-standing Pacific feminist organizer whose leadership spans regional and global movement-building for justice, rights, and climate action.
● Dr June Oscar AO, the Founder and Chair of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Institute. She is a proud Bunuba woman and leading advocate for First Nations gender justice whose work centres culture, healing, and self-determination.
Global multilateral leadership will be represented by Dr Diene Keita, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA. Her career has focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence in humanitarian settings, and inclusive development, aligning directly with WD2026’s emphasis on bodily autonomy, adolescent girls’ rights, and accountability in crisis contexts.
Women Deliver’s own CEO, Dr Maliha Khan, will also feature on the Conference program. Maliha has worked extensively across marginalised communities, including in Pakistan, and is a leading voice challenging the colonial and racist legacies that continue to shape development systems, funding structures and power dynamics.
Dr Anita Zaidi, President of Gender Equality at the Gates Foundation, will bring insight into driving evidence-based investments to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide. She leads work across health, education, and economic opportunity to ensure gender equality is embedded in how resources are allocated and outcomes are measured, aligning closely with WD2026’s focus on accountability and action.
WD2026 will bring together governments, civil society, researchers, funders, and community leaders from around the world to share experience, assess progress, and discuss what needs to change to deliver more consistent outcomes on gender equality.
Registrations are now open for Women Deliver 2026. For more information visit womendeliver.org/wd2026
