When: Thursday, June 25, 2026
Where: Zoom. Reminder emails with the zoom link will be sent a day before and two hours before the event takes place.

This panel brings together women working in and around health across three regions to
surface a simple but powerful truth, that regardless of our geography, women and girls
across the globe face strikingly similar barriers to their health. The conversation will move
from personal story to structural analysis to collective action. It will be grounded always in
the lived realities of the women and girls we serve and represent. The dialogue should be
educational but also permit sharing of personal stories so that the audience feel seen,
informed, and motivated.

Note: The following are recommended throughout the discussion:
1. Disclaimers about medical advice where necessary.
2. Plain, clear language.
3. Sharing of personal stories, and
4. Concrete calls to action.
The event seeks to achieve the following goal:
1. To increase awareness and enhance education surrounding women’s health.
2. To create an environment that supports network building, advocacy & policy
influence, and community follow-up action.

The dialogue will cover three Thematic Pillars, including

Pillar 1 - Economic & Access
Conversations surrounding economic and structural barriers to healthcare access, unpaid
care burden and women’s self-neglect, as well as health system failures and gaps in
service delivery.

Pillar 2 - Social & Cultural
Conversations surrounding social and cultural norms shaping health behaviour,
reproductive myths, taboos and harmful practices, and the silence around reproductive
and sexual health.

Pillar 3 - Mental Health, Disability & Marginalized Groups
Conversations surrounding mental health stigma and the invisibility of mental illness in
women, disability-inclusive approaches to reproductive and sexual health, ensuring
marginalized women are not left out of health conversations and policy.

Event Format & Timing
Activity Time Notes

• Welcome & context setting 10 minutes
• Panelist introductions 5 minutes
• Icebreaker:Panelists give brief remarks and share one defining moment that led them to this work
• Moderated discussion:
  • Round 1 Economic & structural barriers 15 minutes
  • Round 2 Social, cultural & family dynamics; mental health & disability 15 minutes
  • Round 3 Change, power and what’s possible 15 minutes
• Live audience Q&A 25 minutes
• Closing reflections & calls to action 5 minutes

Participants
Biography - Kimmette Robertson
Kimmette Robertson is a social entrepreneur, mental health professional, and passionate
women’s health advocate dedicated to driving gender equality and community
empowerment. A cross-cultural leader, she is a 2026 Young Leaders of the Americas
Initiative (YLAI) Fellow committed to designing innovative, ecosystem-led solutions for
marginalized groups. She serves as the Vice President of the SVG Association of
Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, and PCOS, championing women’s health education; and is
the founder of MindTHRIVE Co., a wellness enterprise providing vital mental health support
across St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Additionally, Kimmette champions creative
entrepreneurship and circularity with sustainable product designs through KP Artistry 784.

Biography - Angela Elizabeth Ledon Maduro
Angela Elizabeth Ledon Maduro is a Legal Practitioner, Conveyancer, and Notary Public at
Matutu and Mureri Legal Practitioners in Zimbabwe. She is a civic leader and advocate for
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), disability rights, gender equality, and
community development. Angela is a BridgeUSA Ambassador Scholar and an alumna of
the U.S. Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) for Student Leaders on Civic Engagement. She
has led and participated in initiatives promoting inclusion, legal empowerment, and
access to justice for marginalized communities. Her work focuses on the intersection of
law, human rights, disability inclusion, and SRHR, with a commitment to advancing
equitable policies, strengthening community engagement, and fostering social change
across Zimbabwe.

Biography - Dr. Pauline Samson Shallangwa
Dr Pauline Samson Shallangwa is a girl child activist, educator and a US Department of
States Alumna. She is a Nigerian and a person living with albinism. She is a veterinary
doctor by training but has spread her tentacles of learning and experience to leadership,
humanitarian work and girl child advocacy. Her life is guided by principles principal among
which is the Christian faith. She goes all out for the girl child.