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Convening an exciting panel, this informed dialogue will examine the gender equity achievements in eye health up until the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel will seek to explore and understand if (and how) gender equity progress has stalled during the pandemic and what needs to be in place for a gender lens to be applied throughout the pandemic and beyond. Rather than ‘Build Back Better’, this panel will argue that eye health must ‘Build Back Equal’ to ensure the good work already achieved is not allowed to regress because of the pandemic.
By the end of the webinar participants should be able to:
Deputy Leader, Women’s Equality Party
Hannah Barham-Brown is Deputy Leader of the Women’s Equality Party with the portfolio for ‘Making Change Happen’. Based in Leeds, she is also a GP Trainee, BMA Council member, and gender and disability Campaigner. Alongside her clinical work, she travels the UK giving talks about diversity and disability, in venues from the House of Lords to international publishing companies.
Before studying postgraduate medicine, she graduated from Durham University with a BA Hons in Combined Arts, and from Northumbria University with a BSc Hons in Paediatric Nursing. Hannah is an Ambassador of disability charity ‘My AFK’, and gynaecological cancer charity, ‘The Eve Appeal’, regularly works with national and local media, (including Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, BBC Breakfast and Sky News), and has given two TEDx talks on the need for diversity in the NHS, and being a #RollModel. Hannah was named on the Shaw Trust’s 2018 and 2019 ‘Power Lists’ – making her one of the 100 most Influential Disabled People in the UK.
The Fred Hollows Foundation and Chair, IAPB Gender Equity Work Group
Jennifer has extensive experience working in government and the not for profit sector, leading a wide range of social marketing campaigns aimed at raising awareness, changing behaviour and influencing key decision makers. She has worked across the health, disability and international development sectors and has a reputation for fostering collaboration and delivering results by applying innovative strategic approaches to advocacy.
Under Jennifer’s leadership, Vision 2020 Australia was transformed from an aspiring peak body to a highly respected and successful organisation with a reputation as an international leader in the eye health and vision care sector.
Jennifer joined The Fred Hollows Foundation in 2016. In addition to managing sector engagement globally and leading advocacy efforts across The Foundation, she is a champion for gender equity working to end gender discrimination in eye health and embed equity and inclusion in all aspects of The Foundation’s work.
Jennifer is a Trustee on the Board of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness where she continues to promote positive action towards gender and inclusion, chairing the Gender Equity Work Group.
In 2019 Jennifer was awarded a fellowship under Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative. Throughout 2020-2021, Jennifer will engage in inter-disciplinary academic learning, leadership development and peer-to-peer collaboration to develop a social impact project focused on sustainable and equitable eye health.
Sightsavers and IAPB Gender Equity Work Group representative
Sumrana Yasmin, Sightsavers’ Senior Global Technical Lead for Refractive Error. She is currently seconded to the World Health Organization to support its work in that field. She is also a member of IAPB working groups on Gender Equity, Refractive Errors and School Eye Health. As a professional in international development, particularly in eye health and social inclusion, she has been working with various non-profit organisations in different capacities to support and manage programmes globally. She actively promotes gender equity by documenting and researching gender issues related to health, education, and sustainable development; strengthening the capacity of partner organisations to integrate gender equity in various initiatives; networking with like-minded organisations; advocating for gender equity and social inclusion in development policies and strategies; and supporting women’s empowerment and leadership in programme development.
