Meet the keynote speakers of FIGO Paris 2023
Click on the headshots below to find out more about each speaker for the FIGO 2023 World Congress.
Denis Mukwege is a Congolese (D.R.C.) gynecologist, born on March 1, 1955 in Bukavu.
He studied medicine and specialized in obstetrics and gynecology in France. He holds a doctorate degree (PhD) in medical sciences from the Université Libre de Bruxelles where he is a Professor.
For over 20 years, Dr. Mukwege has been treating survivors of sexual violence and women with severe gynecological problems at the Panzi Hospital, which he founded in 1999.
The Hospital and Panzi Foundation are renowned for their pioneering work in specialized responses to sexual gender based violence, and their work in advocating for the rights and empowerment of Congolese women.
Doctor Mukwege is an outspoken advocate for the rights of survivors of sexual violence. He co-presides over the Global Survivors’ Fund, which he co-founded in 2019. He also serves on the Scientific Council of the WHO.
His action and dedication have been recognized worldwide with various awards among which the United Nations Human Rights Prize (2008), the Sakharov Prize (2014) and the Nobel Peace Prize (2018) as well as honorary degrees from different Universities.
Isabelle Lonvis-Rome is Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of Equality between Women and Men, Diversity and Equal Opportunities.
Born in Bourg-en-Bresse in 1963, she graduated from the National School for the Judiciary. At the age of 23, she became the youngest judge in France.
In 1987, Isabelle Lonvis-Rome was appointed as sentencing judge in Lyon. Still at the Lyon Regional Court, she was nominated general secretary to the presidency
(1992-1995), then investigating judge (1996-1998). In 1998, she joined the interministerial delegation for cities as head of the delinquency prevention office. Two years later, she was named in the cabinet of Marylise Lebranchu, Lord Chancellor, as technical
adviser in charge of the judicial protection of young people, victim support and legal access.
In 2002, she held various positions in Amiens and Pontoise Courts. In 2012, she became an adviser to the Versailles Court of Appeal and president of the Nanterre,
Versailles, Pontoise and Chartres circuit courts (2012-2018). On the first of June 2018, she was appointed senior official for gender equality at the Ministry of Justice, by the Lord Chancellor, Nicole Belloubet.
Alongside her professional career, Isabelle Lonvis-Rome has been involved in a number of charities that support women victims of violence, refugees and asylum
seekers, and people in custody.
Lastly, Isabelle Lonvis-Rome is the author of several books about her profession as a magistrate (“You are naive, Your Honor”), women prisoners (“In a women’s prison: a judge in immersion), violence against women (“Freedom, equality, survival”) and the notion of hold (“Hold and violence within the couple”).
Prof. Marek Glezerman, MD is an internationally renowned expert in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine. He has chaired for 25 years in succession three large departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology at major health care centers in Israel. He has also acted for 14 years as chairperson of the National Steering Committee of ObGyn at the Maccabi Health Care Services in Israel. Since 2098 he has been deeply involved in research and promotion of Gender and Sex Conscious Medicine and is regarded as one of its pioneers on a national and international level. Prof. Glezerman is founding president of the Israel Society for Gender – and Sex Conscious Medicine and acted for 10 years as president of the International Society for Gender Medicine. He is currently Head of Gender- and Sex Conscious Medicine at Tel Aviv University. He has written/edited 8 books and published more than 340 scientific articles in professional journals and chapters in text books.
Dr Alain Gregoire has for 30 years been a Consultant Specialist Perinatal Psychiatrist, during which time he has set up and led multiple specialist perinatal mental health services, and won UK Hospital Doctor of the year and Psychiatry Team of the Year awards.
He was a member of the NICE Guideline Development Group for Antenatal and Postnatal Mental Health, and has contributed extensively to the development of policy, strategy, guidance and clinical services in the area of parental and infant mental health in the UK and abroad.
He was the founder and is President of the UK Maternal Mental Health Alliance, a coalition of over 120 national organisations committed to improving maternal mental health care and outcomes for mothers and their infants, and which has successfully campaigned for government funding for perinatal mental health services across the UK. The Princess of Wales recently became our patron. In 2016 he launched the Global Alliance for Maternal Mental Health, which has similar aims worldwide, with over 25 international member organisations, and has informed the development of successful alliances in many other countries and world regions.
Alain has worked extensively in radio, television and film, including the multiple award winning BBC documentary ‘My Baby Psychosis and Me’, and is a presenter for the award winning BBC TV programme ‘Trust Me I’m a Doctor’.
Dr. Yashica Robinson is the owner and founder of Alabama Women’s Wellness Center, P.C. She is a comprehensive women’s health specialist. Dr. Robinson received her Doctor of Medicine from Morehouse School of Medicine. She completed her Internship and Residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Alabama, Birmingham. Dr. Robinson is Board Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology and is a Fellow of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She serves as a member of the Board for Physicians for Reproductive Health. She is also a National Health Service Corps Scholar and a member of the United States Army Reserves. Making a commitment to serve the underserved, she recognizes access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortion care as an area of great need in the South. She serves as the medical director of Alabama Women’s Center for Reproductive Alternatives where she has served as the primary provider of second trimester abortion care in Alabama. She devotes much of her time and efforts to hosting medical students, residents and fellows in order to help train the next generation of abortion providers. She does this while running a busy OBGYN practice where she focuses on providing individualized care for women of all ages. She will soon open the Alabama Birth Center (ABC), a visionary project which will provide an alternative to hospital births, prenatal classes, and post-natal care. The ABC will provide training rotations to build a corps of clinicians in the South who are skilled in providing comprehensive reproductive health care. Aspiring midwives, nurse practitioner students, and doulas will be trained in a unique model of care that effectively integrates comprehensive emotional and physical support, obstetrics, and a midwifery model of birthing.
Dr. Yashica Robinson has been honored with the George Tiller, MD award for outstanding courage in hostile and challenging environments. She was saluted as one of Essence magazine’s “Woke 100 Women.” Dr. Robinson was recognized as one of the 20 people who will shape Alabama in 2020 — Reckon List 2020. She was featured in the New York Times Op-doc, The Chosen Life. She has testified before the US Congress. Dr. Robinson is a fierce advocate for women.
Laura Gil graduated as an obstetrician-gynecologist in 2004 from the National University of Colombia.
She is an abortion provider and has been an active advocate as well as a trainer and speaker on safe abortion access. She is the cofounder of “Grupo Médico por el Derecho a Decidir- GDC Colombia” and the former Program Director of ESAR, a foundation that provides training in sexual and reproductive health in ten countries in Latin America. She is also member of the board of Global Doctors for Choice, the FIGO Safe Abortion Committee and advisor for the FLASOG’s and FECOLSOG’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights Committee.
Doctor Mèdessè Véronique TOGNIFODE is an Associate Professor of CAMES. She reached this grade in November 2022 after having brilliantly passed the competitive examination for the agrégation in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She had previously obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 2004, and continued her specialisation studies in obstetrics in France, but she remained attached to her country of origin. She returned there after her university studies, and for about ten years, she put her know-how at the service of patients in a private clinic in Cotonou before gradually leaving the private sector for an academic career undertaken at the University of Abomey-Calavi in 2016.
This teacher-researcher is at the head of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Microfinance since September 2019. Her strong social commitment to the cause of women motivated her to enter politics. Over the past ten years, Professor TOGNIFODE has been involved in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and the education of young girls. Since her appointment as head of her ministerial department, she has been working to implement the State’s social protection policies through the establishment of health insurance for all, the protection of children, the disabled, the elderly and the extreme poor. The promotion of the family and women, national solidarity and equal opportunities, the promotion of microfinance and financial inclusion are also its areas of intervention. It works to eradicate sexual violence as well as to enhance the status of women, their socio-economic autonomy, to keep girls in school or in training and to include vulnerable groups.
With regard to women specifically, in addition to the success of the programme to grant microfinance for income-generating activities with a view to empowering the most vulnerable, she has contributed to strengthening the legal framework for the protection of women’s rights through a law on sexual and reproductive health that is less restrictive than the previous law, in order to prevent the dramatic complications of clandestine abortions by revising the conditions for abortion.
From 2020 to 2022, she chaired the African Union (Ethiopia) Specialised Technical Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. In 2021, she was made a Commander of the National Order of Benin.
Dr Conry is the current President of the Environmental Health Leadership Foundation, leading efforts to improve the health and well-being of women through systematic changes in health care delivery with a focus on the environment.
Dr Conry holds positions as the Chair of the US Women’s Preventive Services Initiative and Vice Chair of the PMNCH Provider Engagement in Countries Committee. She serves on the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality (ACIMM) of the US Department of Health and Human Services. She is also a Board member for the Forum Institute and the Heartland Health Research Alliance.
Dr Conry is a Past President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and was a practicing OBGYN at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. She holds a Medical Degree from, and completed her Residency at, the University of California at Davis. She holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
MD, MA Obst. (IRL), DGO, DFP, DOBST. RCPI (Dublin), FFIGO, FRCOG (UK), FRCPI (Ireland), FACOG (USA), FSLCOG (SL), FTAOG (Tw), FEBCOG (EU), FDGGG (GER), FEMA O&G (UAE), FIAHR, FAMS, FICOG, FICMCH, PGD MLS (Law).
Hon. Membership Romanian, Colombian and French (CNGOF) ObGyn Societies.
Consultant, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist Purandare Hospital Mumbai India.
President FIGO (2015–2018).
Emeritus Dean Indian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
President FOGSI (2009).
President Indian College of OB GYN (2009).
President MOGS (2004).
Professor Emeritus O&G Research institute Ministry of Health Russian Federation.
Editor Emeritus Journal – FOGSI.
Emeritus Prof. OBGYN, Grant Medical College & J J Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Ex. Hon. Prof. OBGYN, Grant Medical College & J J Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Hon. Consultant, Mumbai Police, India.
Hon. Consultant. Saifee Hospital & BSES Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Visiting Consultant St. Elizabeth Hospital Mumbai, India.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was elected WHO Director-General for a five-year term by WHO
Member States at the Seventieth World Health Assembly in May 2017. In doing so, he was the first
WHO Director-General elected from among multiple candidates by the World Health Assembly, and
was the first person from the WHO African Region to head the world’s leading public health agency.
Born in the Eritrean city of Asmara, Dr Tedros graduated from the University of Asmara with a
Bachelor of Biology, before earning a Master of Science (MSc) in Immunology of Infectious Diseases
from the University of London, a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Community Health from the
University of Nottingham and an Honorary Fellowship from the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine.
Following his studies, Dr Tedros returned to Ethiopia to support the delivery of health services, first
working as a field-level malariologist, before heading a regional health service and later serving in
Ethiopia’s federal government for over a decade as Minister of Health and Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
As Minister of Health from 2005 to 2012, he led a comprehensive reform of the country’s health
system, built on the foundation of universal health coverage and provision of services to all people,
even in the most remote areas.
Under his leadership, Ethiopia expanded its health infrastructure, developed innovative health
financing mechanisms, and expanded its health workforce. A major component of reforms he drove
was the creation of a primary health care extension programme that deployed 40 000 female health
workers throughout the country. A significant result was an approximate 60% reduction in child and
maternal mortality compared to 2000 levels.
As Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2012 to 2016, he elevated health as a political issue nationally,
regionally and globally. In this role, he led efforts to negotiate the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, in
which 193 countries committed to the financing necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals.
Prior to his election as Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros held many leadership positions in global
health, including as Chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Chair of the
Roll Back Malaria Partnership, and Co-chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child
Health Board.
After taking office as WHO Director-General on 1 July 2017, Dr Tedros initiated the most significant
transformation in the Organization’s history, which has generated a wide range of achievements.
Dr Pascale Allotey is a leader in gender, equity, health and human rights.
Her recent work includes challenging the boundaries of global health, advocating for accountability
in the decolonization of global health and international development, and expanding opportunities
to diversify the voices of contributors to global debates and decision making – particularly in
evidence generation, policy and programme implementation within the UN system, with
governments, NGOs and the academic community.
Dr Allotey is a triple-certified nurse, midwife and public health nurse with a multidisciplinary
background in clinical health sciences, implementation research, anthropology, and epidemiology.
She holds a PhD in Public Health and a MMedSci in Community Health from the University of
Western Australia, and a BA in Nursing and Psychology from the University of Ghana, Legon.
Bringing over three decades of experience as a global public health researcher, Dr Allotey has
published extensively including on: sexual and reproductive health; harmful traditional practices;
gender, sex and disease; migrants and refugees; health systems research; implementation research,
and community engagement.
Prior to joining WHO, Dr Allotey was Director of the United Nations University International Institute
for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Originally from Ghana, her previous posts
include: Professor of Public Health and Deputy Head of School (Research) at the Jeffrey Cheah
School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University (Malaysia); founding Associate Director
of the South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO Malaysia); Professor of Race, Diversity and
Professional Practice, Brunel University (United Kingdom).
Dr Allotey Co-Chairs the Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health and is a former Co-Chair of
the HRP Gender and Rights Advisory Panel.
Dr Banerjee has 30+ years’ experience in public health and has worked in a variety of capacities with
civil society, bilateral agencies, and funding agencies. He was earlier the Director (Global
Coordination) in the Office of the Assistant Director-General in Family, Women’s and Children’s
Health, WHO. He was formerly the WHO Country Representative in several countries.
Dr Banerjee holds a PhD in tuberculosis control from the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, a
Master’s in Public Health for Developing Countries from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine, United Kingdom, and a medical degree from the University of Antwerp, Belgium.
