Equity as a Connecting Thread

Equity as a Connecting Thread

By Ivana Hussu, 30 October 2024

Fostering Humanity: Promoting Health Equity for a Better Planet – this was the unifying theme at the IGHN Conference 2024, held at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin. Spread over two days, the conference gathered themes centered around health equity, making it the connecting thread of the event. 

Fittingly, my own thesis work focused on improving equity in global health research collaborations, making this an ideal platform to present it. I had the opportunity to share my findings during the parallel session 2.1, titled: Intersectionality, Health Equity, and Decolonisation. 

As this was my second time attending an international conference, and my very first time presenting my work in front of seasoned global health professionals, I felt a mix of excitement and anxiety. Among the audience there were prominent figures, such as Bruce Compton and Shailey Prasad, who contributed to the report Enacting an Ethic of Responsibility and Care in Global Health Partnerships. The report calls for transforming global health partnerships to achieve equity by co-evolving systems with marginalised voices, especially from the Global South.  

Thankfully, my presentation went well, and I felt proud of myself. But what stood out to me even more was the fact that every presenter from my session was a young female professional. Some, like myself, made their first debut at an international conference. 

During the panel discussion, Nadine Ferris France asked a challenging question, bringing to light the persistent inequality in female leadership representation in the global health field. She asked, “What are the three main principles that encourage you to navigate this field, possibly becoming the future female leaders in global health?” 

My personal guiding principles are passion, confidence, and stubbornness. Passion is essential, I believe you can’t excel in a field unless you’re truly excited about the work you do. Confidence, which I’m still working on, is crucial because women are often underestimated. Like many, as a child I was told that I wasn’t capable, which affected how I viewed myself. Rebuilding that confidence took time, but I’ve seen how powerful it can be. I often wonder if that’s why sometimes others try to take it from you. Finally, stubbornness, often seen as a negative trait, is something I would encourage. For me, it’s about persistence, refusing to let random doubts or judgments derail my path. It’s linked to confidence, as stubbornness helps me trust my own abilities and knowledge even when others don’t. 

Nadine’s question stayed with me long after the conference. Equity is such a broad and complex issue that it would take a week-long conference (or more) to dive into it. Although we couldn’t cover everything in those two days, I felt the event excellently highlighted several areas where equity is still a pressing challenge. While there wasn’t enough time to address it all thoroughly, we were provided with the tools, contacts, and ideas to take action and actively contribute to advancing equity on a global scale.