The Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) MWIA Quarterly Update – Activities of MWIA and its Regions – March 2023 is now available. AFMW is affiliated with Medical Women’s International Association, an association of medical women and students representing women doctors from all six continents and eight regions.
MWIA Quarterly Update March 2023 [Extract]
I bring you warm greetings from the desk of the President where it has been a busy start to the year. Exco has met twice already in the months of January and February.
In line with our Triennial theme “One Humanity: Health Solutions through our Partnerships, partnership meetings took place virtually with WHO, UNFPA, UNHCR, PANZI Foundation of Nobel laureate, Dr. Denis Mukwege and World Health Summit, Program Director Julian Kickbusch.
On the 26th of January we held the first Global coordination meeting. Thank you to those who made the time to attend. The Finance Committee had its inaugural meeting on 27th January and I was able to give the usual welcome remarks.
On 23rd January, I was in Geneva to meet again with MWIA Lawyers Borel & Barbey as a follow-up to our registration which is in the last stages of the process at the Swiss Commercial Registry.
On the invitation of the office of the President of the Republic of South Africa and in collaboration with the Center for Human Rights, in early February I participated in a consultation meeting in Pretoria to discuss a Review of Discriminatory Laws against Women in Africa.
The Chair of the South Africa Commission for Gender Equality hosted me on Friday 3rd February in the company of CGE community and other CSOs in the public health care sector facilitated by CEO Phelisa Nkomo. This provided a great opportunity to connect with women doctors in South Africa.
Along with Dr. Mariam Jashi, MWIA Secretary General, I was appointed to the Innovation Equity Forum (IEF) Steering Committee of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that focuses on research and development (R&D) in global women’s health. In particular we are working on the sub-committee on Partnerships to advance women’s health.
I attended virtually the #39GIMAC Network African Union Pre – Summit Meeting on the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which was moderated by Dr. Amany Asfour, MWIA President Elect.
I am humbled to have been nominated to serve as a Member of the High-Level Advisory Committee (HLAC) on Women’s Economic Empowerment and Gender in Nigeria on the 16th of February.
In commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day and its theme, #embraceequity I was honored as one of the 30 women in the healthcare sector whose expertise has contributed immensely to the growth and development of Nigeria and Africa’s healthcare sector by Bora Communications.
MWIA was very visible at the 2023 CSW. I spoke at the Secretary General’s town hall meeting on the need to “llash back at the back lash” regarding women’s health.
MWIA, together with the United Nations Association of New York and Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York co -sponsored a special CSW67 Parallel Event in Honor entitled “Technology at its Best and Worst Across Disciplines”.
At the College of Medicine Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, I gave a Public lecture thereby further increasing MWIA visibility.
Dr Connie Newman, the MWIA North America Regional Vice President and Dr Eliza Chin MWIA Treasurer organised a superb AMWA 108th Annual Meeting in Pennsylvania, held jointly with the MWIA North American Regional congress.
My opening ceremony address was well received and there were several interesting presentations. An MWIA Workshop on Ending Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Harassment was anchored by Drs Connie Newman, VP MWIA North America Region, Shelley Ross, MWIA Past President, Clarissa Fabre, MWIA Past President, Bev Johnson, Community Family Physician, and Karen Poirier-Brode, MWIA National Coordinator.
The tour and Reception at the Women in Medicine Legacy Archives (Drexel University, College of Medicine) was emotional for me as I was able to touch and feel precious historical artefacts including our foundation documents. The archives have provided a happy home for the MWIA centennial fabric collage from 2019 when as chair of the Public Relations Centennial Committee, I came up with the idea of a fabric collage from our member countries depicting our unity in diversity.
Social events were great fun including a reception held at the Mutter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia with interesting specimens, the paint night where I discovered my artistic skills and a colorful Gala night where we danced and did a lot of networking.
On World Doctors’ Day 30/3/23, I had the pleasure of giving opening remarks at the MWIA VAWG webinar. I also made a presentation at the Voices for Women’s Health High-Level convening by Pathfinder International with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in partnership with She Forum Africa
ONGOING… CLICK to join the Conversationhttps://t.co/AxYcreyuol…
Advancing the Health & Rights of Women & Girls in ??
THURSDAY March 30, 10amWAT #VoicesForWomensHealth in partnership with @PathfinderInt @gatesfoundation @PaulineKTallen @QuamLois @GatesAfrica @ullamuller pic.twitter.com/GBIs2Wvr2s— She Forum Africa (@SheForumAfrica) March 30, 2023
I would like to end by thanking the Committee and SIG Chairs and members who have shown such great leadership and dedication. Excelsior!
Sincerely,
Dr. Eleanor Nwadinobi
MWIA President
Read the full MWIA March 2023 Newsletter here
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
