Academics and medical students from the University of Notre Dame Australia have put health challenges facing women and girls around the world at the forefront of discussions, during a global virtual forum as part of the seventieth session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) 2026.
Hosted by the International Health Awareness Network (IHAN) in conjunction with Notre Dame's National School of Medicine and the Fordham Institute for Women and Girls, Fordham University (New York), the forum examined how to improve the health of women and girls.
The program brought together international experts, clinicians and youth advocates to explore the escalating global pressures affecting women's and girls' health. These issues include climate change, displacement, inequalities and gender based violence.
Held across two time zones, the virtual parallel event attracted over 100 attendees from a broad range of national and international organisations and provided a strong interprofessional learning platform for both students and experts.
Professor Gabrielle Casper, President of IHAN and Head of Clinical Discipline, Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Notre Dame, convened the session alongside colleague, Professor Lynne Madden, Professor of Population and Planetary Health.
Fifteen Notre Dame third year Doctor of Medicine students presented on a wide range of critical issues, with their presentations spanning the topics of migrant and refugee health trends, climate change, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) for women, inequality and progress on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Notre Dame medical student Helaina Alati co-presented 'Trends in the health challenges of refugee and migrant women and children' together with ANU Bachelor of Psychology and Design graduate Phoebe Rathbone.
"We live in an undeniably inequitable world, and women and children are often the most affected," Helaina said.
"I believe that as future practitioners, global issues need to be embedded into our learning and practice."
"I hope to use my medical training and my passion for education to advocate for the vulnerable and for communities whose needs are overlooked."
Notre Dame's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Professor David Sadler, also spoke at the forum about what universities are doing to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Professor Sadler described the event afterwards as sobering, highlighting the key role universities play in addressing global challenges.
"At Notre Dame, we are committed to preparing future doctors not only with clinical expertise but also with a deep understanding of the social, environmental and cultural determinants that shape health outcomes," he said.
"The contributions of our students, together with the students from Fordham, highlight the power of education to drive meaningful change for women and girls worldwide."
The forum demonstrated the power of global partnerships through focusing on the needs of women and girls at a time of increasing conflict, climate instability and social inequity.
Through its strong presence, Notre Dame demonstrated its commitment to preparing future doctors to be advocates for the health of individuals and communities, in this instance, for the health of women and girls.
