Polio Gender Champions

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recognizes that both gender responsive programming and organizational change are key to gender mainstreaming. Polio eradication interventions cannot effectively reach every last child unless informed by sex disaggregated data and gender-sensitive analysis.

The Gender Champion for Polio Eradication is a concrete effort to build off of the current movement by high-level, national and international gender champions and to highlight the role of gender in achieving polio eradication, by committing to the GPEI Gender Equality Strategy and supporting its full implementation.

H.E. Ms. Carole LANTERI

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the United Nations Office at Geneva

“The progress the polio program has witnessed in the past years would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of courageous women who are dedicated to protecting children, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than ever before, we need to advocate for the adoption of gender-transformative policies and strengthen women’s leadership in health. Monaco is proud to support GPEI’s efforts towards gender equality.”

I support the GPEI Gender Equality Strategy as a concrete effort to highlight the role of gender in polio eradication by committing to:

Host an annual dialogue with Permanent Mission Representatives to expand the conversation around gender equality and health, including gender related barriers to immunization and polio eradication
Acknowledge the role of women as front-line workers in polio eradication (and COVID-19)

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Director-General of the World Health Organization and Chair of the Polio Oversight Board

“From the everyday choices about their children’s health to delivering life-saving health services and the big-picture decisions about strategies and resources, women can and must play a key role in every level of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Empowering women is not just a ‘nice to have’ in our efforts to end polio forever, it’s essential.”

I support the GPEI Gender Equality Strategy as a concrete effort to highlight the role of gender in polio eradication by committing to:

Increase women’s meaningful and equal participation and leadership at all levels of the GPEI
Engage Member States to increase the efforts in global leadership on gender and health, including immunization

Christopher Elias

President of Global Development Division at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

“The world has made remarkable progress to end polio, but success is not guaranteed. To address the final challenges to achieving a polio-free world we must not forget the fundamental role that women play in leading the final push to rid the world of polio. Most of the brave health workers who vaccinate children every day worldwide, sometimes in difficult and even dangerous conditions, are women. Many women are also key policy makers and program managers that drive the success of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.”

I support the GPEI Gender Equality Strategy as a concrete effort to highlight the role of gender in polio eradication by committing to:

Support and advocate for an adequate sex-disaggregated data collection throughout the GPEI
Ensure that adequate budgets for gender expertise and capacity-building are provided, as well as for the sustained and consistent implementation of gender equality programming