IDRC at Women Deliver 2026
IDRC staff and partners will participate in Women Deliver 2026, the world’s largest conference on gender equality, bringing evidence and Global South perspectives to global discussions on care, climate, feminist learning and inclusive economic systems.
IDRC’s engagement at Women Deliver 2026 reflects its longstanding commitment to supporting Southern‑led research and feminist movements working at the intersection of care, climate resilience, gender equality and inclusive development. Across panels, workshops and interactive exchanges, IDRC and its partners will explore how evidence can make care visible, political and actionable — at a time of heightened economic uncertainty, shifting political landscapes and increasing constraints on gender‑equality efforts.
Connecting and engaging with IDRC
Throughout the conference, IDRC will maintain a dedicated booth at the convention centre serving as a hub for engagement, knowledge exchange and partner coordination. The booth (B02, B04, B06) will showcase IDRC’s research and programming on care, climate and inclusive economic systems, while supporting partner meet‑and‑greets and follow‑up discussions linked to IDRC‑led and co‑led sessions. A dedicated space will highlight IDRC’s care portfolio, including a hosted presence by the Global Alliance for Care, and curated visual exhibits linked to the Care Pavilion.
IDRC hosted and co‑hosted events at Women Deliver 2026
Tuesday, April 28
12:00-13:30 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Meeting Room 211, Level 2
This side event brings together partners working across Africa to examine how social and physical care infrastructures can be reimagined to advance women’s economic participation, wellbeing and resilience in the context of clean energy transitions. Drawing on evidence from IDRC‑supported initiatives, including the Clean Energy for Development: A Call to Action (CEDCA) initiative and the Africa Cares Together Community of Practice, the session highlights scalable care innovations and the systems needed to sustain them.
Hosted by Action Aid International and the Institute of Development Studies
17:30-18:30 | Care Pavilion at Melbourne Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth Street
This session explores how employers and private investment can meaningfully contribute to care systems while aligning with public provision and workers’ rights. Panelists will share evidence on effective employer‑supported care models and pathways for action at scale.
Hosted by IDRC, the International Center for Research on Women and UNI Global Union
18:30-19:15 | Care Pavilion at Melbourne Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth Street
This roundtable and accompanying photo exhibit highlight Indigenous care systems as relational, territory‑based alternatives to conventional service delivery models. Drawing on IDRC‑supported research, the session examines both their transformative potential and the structural barriers that limit their recognition and resourcing.
Hosted by IDRC, the Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo and the Global Alliance for Care
Wednesday, April 29
8:00-9:30 | Care Pavilion at Melbourne Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth Street (Invite-only)
This participatory workshop focuses on embedding care considerations into transport planning, design and investment decisions. Using applied examples, participants will identify concrete entry points to mainstream care‑responsive transport within infrastructure systems.
Hosted by IDRC and City Hub and Network for Gender Equity (CHANGE)
9:30-11:00 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, WVL Session Room, Room 203
This session examines how learning systems across the Women’s Voice and Leadership portfolio strengthen feminist movements by improving program effectiveness, evidence uptake and policy influence at scale.
Hosted by IDRC and Global Affairs Canada.
12:00-13:30 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Meeting Room 208, Level 2
This signature side event brings together grassroots leaders, feminist organizers, Indigenous and community defenders, civil society actors and researchers to explore care as a unifying force across social justice movements. The session highlights how movement‑rooted evidence is being used to strengthen solidarity, defend hard‑won gains and advance transformative agendas across climate resilience, food security, land and livelihoods, gender‑based violence, urban development and women’s leadership.
Hosted by IDRC and the Global Alliance for Care
Thursday, April 30
8:00-9:15 | Care Pavilion at Melbourne Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth Street
This session explores how Women20 and G20 policy processes can be leveraged to translate global care commitments into national and international outcomes, with a focus on evidence, coordination and accountability.
Hosted by Women20 (W20), Center for Global Development and IDRC
17:00-18:30 | Care Pavilion at Melbourne Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth Street
This closing Care Pavilion event examines how care systems can be operationalized within climate adaptation and just transition frameworks, drawing on evidence from IDRC‑supported research and partner experience across regions.
Hosted by IDRC, Avina, Oxfam Canada, the Climate and Care Initiative, Procomum, Women Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), CHANGE, UNDP, The Asia Foundation and the Global Alliance for Care
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