Accelerate Action: Celebrating Women in Health and Social Prescribing
How WHIS and the Global Social Prescribing Alliance are driving gender equity in health — and why now is the moment to act.
Every year on 8 March, the world pauses to honour the extraordinary contributions of women — to their families, communities, economies, and the fabric of society itself. But International Women’s Day is not merely a moment of celebration. It is a call to action. And in 2026, the theme could not be more urgent: #AccelerateAction.
For the World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) and the Global Social Prescribing Alliance (GSPA), this day holds particular meaning. Women are at the very heart of everything we do — as leaders, as practitioners, as patients, and as the driving force behind some of the most innovative approaches to health and wellbeing the world has ever seen.
Today, we honour them. And we recommit to the work that will ensure they are no longer held back.
The State of Gender Equity in Health: The Numbers Don’t Lie
The data paints a sobering picture. According to the World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, it will take over 130 years to close the global gender gap. In health leadership, women remain chronically underrepresented at the highest levels, despite making up the majority of the global health workforce. In the UK alone, women account for around 77% of NHS employees — yet occupy a fraction of senior decision-making roles.
The inequalities don’t stop there. Women are twice as likely as men to experience anxiety and depression. They carry the overwhelming burden of unpaid care work — an estimated 80% of unpaid carers globally are women. They face higher rates of misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, and are historically underrepresented in clinical research. And for women from minoritised communities, the compounding effect of race, class, and gender creates health inequalities that can be stark, systemic, and life-limiting.
These are not just statistics. They are stories. They are lives. And they are entirely preventable with the right investment, the right policies, and the right will to act.
A Message from Gareth Presch, CEO of WHIS and GSPA
“Women are not just beneficiaries of healthcare — they are its architects, its innovators, and its heart. On International Women’s Day 2026, WHIS and the Global Social Prescribing Alliance reaffirm our commitment to accelerating action for gender equity in health. Social prescribing has the power to transform lives and women are leading that transformation every single day.” — Gareth Presch, CEO, World Health Innovation Summit & Global Social Prescribing Alliance
This sentiment is not just rhetoric it is the foundation of how WHIS and GSPA operate, collaborate, and innovate. From convening global health summits to supporting community-based social prescribing networks, gender equity is embedded in everything we do.
Why Social Prescribing Is a Women’s Health Issue
Social prescribing — the practice of connecting people to community-based activities, groups, and services to improve their health and wellbeing — is one of the most powerful tools available to address the gendered dimensions of poor health. And it is a tool that women are both uniquely positioned to benefit from, and to lead.
Tackling loneliness and social isolationWomen — particularly older women, single mothers, and those in caring roles — face disproportionate social isolation. Social prescribing builds the community connections that are not just desirable, but clinically vital. Loneliness is now recognised as a public health crisis with impacts comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Supporting mental health beyond medicationWomen are more likely to be prescribed antidepressants and less likely to be offered talking therapies or holistic support. Social prescribing offers a credible, evidence-based alternative — one that treats the whole person, not just the symptoms.
Creating pathways to economic independenceThrough volunteering, skills development, and community engagement, social prescribing can open doors for women who have been shut out of the workforce by caring responsibilities, poor health, or poverty. Link workers — the backbone of social prescribing — are themselves predominantly women, creating meaningful, skilled employment in communities that often have few options.
Reaching women who fall through the cracksCulturally sensitive social prescribing can reach women from diverse and marginalised communities who are too often excluded from mainstream healthcare — whether due to language barriers, cultural norms, distrust of institutions, or simple lack of access.
WHIS and GSPA: Our Commitment to Women’s Health
The World Health Innovation Summit has long championed women’s leadership in global health. Through our international summits, fellowship programmes, and partnerships, we work to elevate female voices and ensure that health innovation reflects the lived experience of all people — not just the majority.
The Global Social Prescribing Alliance takes this commitment into communities. By supporting the growth of social prescribing across the globe, GSPA is investing in women as both providers and recipients of care — building systems that are more humane, more holistic, and more effective.
Together, our four pillars of commitment are:
- Health Innovation: Driving women-centred innovation that shapes the future of healthcare delivery and policy
- Social Prescribing: Championing community-based approaches that empower women and reduce health inequalities
- Global Advocacy: Amplifying women’s leadership at the highest levels — from local communities to international partnerships
- Education & Training: Investing in the next generation of women health leaders through fellowships, mentoring, and knowledge exchange
What #AccelerateAction Means in Practice
The IWD 2026 theme, #AccelerateAction, is a recognition that good intentions are no longer enough. The pace of change must increase — dramatically. For health systems, this means:
- Funding women-led health research at scale
- Mandating gender-disaggregated data in clinical trials and health datasets
- Investing in social prescribing infrastructure as a core component of primary care
- Appointing women — particularly women from underrepresented communities — to senior health leadership roles
- Recognising and compensating the unpaid health and care work that women disproportionately carry These are not radical demands. They are the minimum required for a health system that works for everyone.
Join Us — Be Part of the Movement
This International Women’s Day, we invite you to stand with us. Whether you are a clinician, a policymaker, a researcher, a community worker, or simply someone who believes in a fairer world — your voice and your action matter.
Share our message. Champion the women in your workplace and community. Advocate for health systems that leave no one behind.
Together, we can accelerate the action the world — and its women — so urgently deserves.
Get Involved www.whis.world | info@whis.world | www.internationalwomensday.com
#IWD2026 | #AccelerateAction | #SocialPrescribing | #WHISWomen | #GSPA