On behalf of The Lancet Commission on Women, power, and cancer, we are delighted to invite you to join us in person for the Global Launch of the Commission report.

This Commission was created to investigate the nexus of women, power, and cancer. As such, our collective work looks beyond “women’s cancers” and the biomedical aspects of any type of cancer that women- in all their diversities - might experience.

It is inclusive of the ways in which sex and gender influence exposures to cancer risk factors, interactions with the cancer health system, and specific challenges faced by healthcare professionals, advocates, and caregivers. In all these domains, women can experience gender bias and overlapping forms of discrimination, such as those due to age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and gender identity, that render them structurally marginalized. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

By applying an intersectional feminist approach, we investigate, expose, and challenge the prevailing asymmetries of power in relation to cancer in three key domains: decision-making, knowledge, and economics.

In this launch event, we present our key findings and propose a set of recommendations which we hope will inspire real-world action for transformational change. For more information about the Commission, visit womenandcancercommission.org.

We hope you can attend!  Please confirm your attendance by email and direct any questions to Maria Castrillo Gill at maria@ecancer.org by September 18. We hope that those who cannot make it in person will be able to join the live stream.

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About this Event:

This Commission was created to investigate the nexus of women, power, and cancer. As such, our collective work looks beyond “women’s cancers” and the biomedical aspects of any type of cancer that women- in all their diversities - might experience.

It is inclusive of the ways in which sex and gender influence exposures to cancer risk factors, interactions with the cancer health system, and specific challenges faced by healthcare professionals, advocates, and caregivers. In all these domains, women can experience gender bias and overlapping forms of discrimination, such as those due to age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and gender identity, that render them structurally marginalized. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

By applying an intersectional feminist approach, we investigate, expose, and challenge the prevailing asymmetries of power in relation to cancer in three key domains: decision-making, knowledge, and economics.

In this launch event, we present our key findings and propose a set of recommendations which we hope will inspire real-world action for transformational change. For more information about the Commission, visit https://womenandcancercommission.org.

Agenda:

Welcome and introduction to the launch:

• Vania Coelho Wisdom PhD, Executive Editor and Oncology Ambassador, THE LANCET (London, United Kingdom)
• Commission presentation with key findings and recommendations:
• Ophira Ginsburg MSc, MD, U.S. National Cancer Institute Center, for Global Health, Co-chair of The Lancet Commission (Rockville, United States)
• What does feminism have to do with cancer?:
• Shirin Heidari PhD, GENDRO; Gender Centre, The Geneva Graduate Institute (Geneva, Switzerland)

Panel discussion with co-chairs and commissioners about the report:

Moderator:

• Vania Coelho Wisdom PhD, Executive Editor and Cancer Ambassador, THE LANCET (London, United Kingdom)

Panelists (co-chairs):

• Isabelle Soerjomataram MD, PhD, International Agency for Research on Cancer (Lyon, France)
• Verna Vanderpuye MD, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (Accra, Ghana)

Panelists (commissioners):

• Nirmala Bhoo-Pathy MD, MPH, MSc, PhD, Universiti Malaya/Queen’s University Belfast (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
• Somesh Kumar MBBS, MSc, PhD, Jhpiego India/Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, United States)
• Jennifer Moodley MBChB, MMed, PhD, University of Cape Town (Cape Town, South Africa)
• Karla Unger-Saldaña MD, MSc, DSc, National Cancer Institute of Mexico/Harvard School of Public Health (Mexico City, Mexico)

Special address:

• Jérôme Salomon MD, MPH, PhD, Assistant Director General for Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization
• (Geneva, Switzerland)
• Monica Bertagnolli MD, Director, National Cancer Institute (Bethesda, United States)

Panel discussion on women's rights, cancer control, global health and development:

Moderator:

• Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, THE LANCET (London, United Kingdom)

Panelists:

• Kalipso Chalkidou MD, PhD, The Global Fund (Geneva, Switzerland)
• Lynette Denny MBchB, MMED, FCOG, PhD, FRCOG, University of Cape Town (Cape Town, South Africa)
• Bente Mikkelsen MD, World Health Organisation (Geneva, Switzerland)
• Micaela Serafini MD, MPH, International Committee for the Red Cross (Geneva, Switzerland)

Closing remarks:

• Ophira Ginsburg MSc, MD, The U.S. National Cancer Institute, Center for Global Health (Rockville, United States)
• Vania Coelho Wisdom PhD, THE LANCET (London, United Kingdom)