Women are 70% of health workers across the world, lead and shoulder a significant proportion of the pandemic response, and play key roles in health systems all over the world.  Many of these women, particularly those in lower income countries work as volunteers, in low paid or underpaid roles and without any social protection. WHO’s Global...

‘We all leap forward when one woman tries, When she defies with her valiant cries, Here lies but does not rest, The best of test women, who call us all to rise’ — Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman March 8 each year (even in 2021!) is celebrated as International Women’s Day. The theme for 2021 is apt and relevant, “Women in Lea...

On December 3 we celebrate the International Day of People with Disabilities, and the theme for 2020 is ‘Not all Disabilities are Visible’.  An invisible disability is a physical, mental or neurological condition that is not visible from the outside, that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities. The very fact that these symptom...

In a world set afire by Covid-19, April 2 remains World Autism Awareness Day. Another frontline to worry about in times of health, economic and social crisis: the more than a billion people worldwide who have disabilities. While adults with disabilities sometimes have a voice and a platform to fight for what is rightfully theirs, very little at...

The 2020 Oscars made history for multiple reasons, among others: a foreign language film took the top prize, an actor from a Netflix series won, and one winner had 52 nominations in his lifetime!    What stood out for me, however, as a significant moment in the ceremony was when The Peanut Butter Falcon actor Zack Gottsagen took the stage wi...

As I flew out from the Himalayan foothills into the country of a thousand hills, I thought about India and Rwanda. 1.3 billion fewer people live in Rwanda than in India. Rwanda is 125 times smaller than India. Rwandan Air flies to India. Rwanda is home to many Indians. The 2019 Women Leaders in Global Health conference   (WLGH 2019) was held i...

As World Disability Day 2024 approaches, the theme *”Transformative Solutions for Inclusive Development: The Role of Innovation in Fuelling an Accessible and Equitable World”* highlights the urgent need for inclusive solutions that foster accessibility, equity, and participation for people with disabilities. This year’s focus challenges us to...

Globally, medical students and doctors with disabilities have been denied their rightful inclusion. This also rings true for India, where almost 80,000 doctors graduate each year. It is estimated that so far 0.38% of 1614777 medical and dental aspirants registered as having a disability. Only 43% of these cleared the qualifying nationwide en...

“It is as impossible to withhold education from the receptive mind as it is impossible to force it upon the unreasoning”- Agnes Repplierg India’s New Education Policy (2020) has replaced its 1986 education policy, with the ambitious goal to transform India into a knowledge giant, while ensuring equity and inclusion. This article seeks to...

2020 and the world has gone viral (pun intended)! Some are comparing the current situation to the 1918 flu epidemic that took more than 30 million lives. Only time will tell. With COVID-19 now becoming a pandemic, it seems we are all at risk, however there is one group of people who will face greater challenges and consequences, these are p...

There are at least a billion people with disabilities worldwide and this number is rising with ageing and population growth, making them the largest minority group globally. Among them, the number of people using assistive technology for mobility is estimated to double by 2050. In India alone, at least 20% of the disabled are confronted with li...

I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up and was not happy- Ernest Hemingway   Rwanda- a gem in East Africa, is also called the Land of a Thousand hills. Rwanda’s experience is one of the best examples in history to show the power of hope in the face of despondence. Twenty five years after the genocide, Rwanda is a success story the ...