GOARN leadership training elevates women leaders in emergency outbreak response

When public health emergencies strike anywhere in the world, experts who are part of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), established by the World Health Organization (WHO), are rapidly deployed to support outbreak response. Although women comprise a significant proportion of the global health and social workforce, they hold just a small fraction of leadership roles. To help bridge this gap, the first GOARN leadership training for women took place in Australia in September 2024.

The training was designed to strengthen individual and collective emergency response leadership skills of women working in outbreak response. This initiative underscores WHO and GOARN's commitment to fostering gender equity and enhancing opportunities for women to lead in responding to outbreaks and other public health emergencies.

The training took place from 23 to 27 September 2024 and was hosted by a GOARN partner in Australia, the National Critical Care Trauma and Response Centre (NCCTRC), through their Public Health Operations in Emergencies for National Strengthening in the Indo-Pacific (PHOENIX) programme. The training brought together 24 women leaders from 12 countries across Asia and the Pacific. Participants engaged in interactive discussions using case studies and networking sessions designed to strengthen their strategic, operational and decision-making skills in complex emergency settings.

The programme featured global leaders with extensive experience in public health and outbreak response, offering participants insights into effective leadership styles, crisis management and strategies for overcoming barriers to leadership in the global health sector. Tailored mentoring sessions further supported participants in navigating the unique challenges faced by women in leadership roles. In addition to building individual leadership skills, the training created a connected community of women leaders who can collaborate and share best practices across borders.

The initiative aligns with WHO's Global Health Emergency Corps vision to standardize and strengthen emergency response capacities across countries through well-established health emergency networks.

The photographs below illustrate how GOARN contributes to more effective and equitable global health responses by investing in women leaders.

Dr Sharon Salmon, Technical Officer, GOARN, WHO Western Pacific Region

"We noticed a gap in leadership training in public health and outbreak response for women. Training women leaders in responding to public health emergencies strengthens decision-making, promotes gender equity, enhances community trust and builds resilient health systems through diverse and inclusive leadership. We're building a network of women leaders who can work with, learn from and support each other during any outbreak."

Ms Amanda McClelland, Senior Vice President and programme mentor, Prevent Epidemics, Resolve to Save Lives

"Women are disproportionately affected during outbreaks and emergencies. It is therefore crucial to make space for women's voices at the table to ensure that the response solutions we co-create with governments and communities address everyone's needs − in particular, women's needs.

Being a mentor in this training programme is a fantastic opportunity for me to give back and share my experiences − both positive and negative − with other women in outbreak response. I've been lucky to have a range of great mentors during my career, and I'm really excited to share my experience with the next generation of leaders coming through. To create a space for them to share the unique challenges that women have in leadership in emergencies."

Colonel Peta Mantel, infectious disease epidemiologist, Australian Government

"The mentor style of leadership in this GOARN women's leadership training initiative is critical. As leaders in this field, it is important to inspire younger women coming through, by our own lived experiences, to make their journey easier than ours.

It's helpful to have mentors to not only promote our achievements, but also share our failings. Moreover, the networking we're able to create through such leadership programmes is vital. In the future, when we're in the field, we know that we have a network of people − with a wealth of experience − that we can reach out to."

Ms Meredith Neilson, Co-Director, PHOENIX, National Critical Care Trauma Response Centre

"The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network's first Outbreak Response Leadership Training for women is a crucial step towards closing the gender gap in global health emergency leadership. By empowering women with strategic, operational and decision-making skills, we are not only fostering gender equity, but also strengthening the global capacity to manage public health crises. This initiative builds a network of empowered women leaders, united in their mission to navigate and lead during complex emergencies, ensuring no voice is left unheard in the fight against global outbreaks."

Ms Karen Ngamata, Manager for the Health Intelligence Unit, Cook Islands

"When you are a leader, you're expected to perform at a certain level, at all times. During this training programme, I learnt that I could lean on others. Having a supportive network is key to great leadership and that's what we're building here through the GOARN leadership programme. These all-women spaces enable us to forge connections with other women leaders across countries and areas of work, and build a supportive network."

Ms Annette Aguon, Administrator, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Department of Public Health and Social Services, Guam

"During the training, I heard from women across Asia and the Pacific about challenges they face in outbreak response, their unique experiences and some of the best practices they've adopted. It was great to hear how we've all been through similar situations, and we can learn from each other and lean on each other.

When I first came into this line of work, there weren't many women in the emergency workforce. I'm learning how to be a role model for younger women, to demonstrate that women can also be at the forefront of any emergency response."

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