For the third consecutive year, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) has been classified as a “Very High Performer” and a “Consistently Strong Performer” by Global Health 50/50. This independent initiative aims to advance action and accountability for gender equality in global health.
2024 Gender Equality Report
The 2024 report, “Gaining Ground? Analysis of the Gender-Related Policies and Practices of 201 Global Health Organizations,” evaluates gender equity and diversity in global health leadership. For the first time, it compares the private and non-profit sectors.
Released alongside the report is the Global Health 50/50’s Gender & Health Index. This index assesses each organization’s performance since 2018, based on 10 variables. These variables include public commitment to gender equality, diversity and inclusion policies, and sex disaggregation of monitoring and evaluation data.
MMV’s Strong Performance
MMV, along with 32 other organizations like the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, USAID, and PATH, is recognized as a very high performer. This recognition is due to its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Prof. Sarah Hawkes and Prof. Kent Buse, Co-CEOs of Global Health 50/50, stated, “Global Health 50/50 is pleased to recognize Medicines for Malaria Venture as a Very High Performer in our 2024 Report, ‘Gaining Ground?’. We hope that MMV’s efforts to advance equality and diversity inspire others. We look to them to continue pushing this hard-won progress forward for the people working in global health and around the world.”
Andrea Lucard, MMV’s Chief Officer of Corporate Strategy and Affairs, emphasized the importance of DEI in their mission. She said, “As an organization working on global health issues, DEI is central to our mission: discovering, developing, and facilitating the delivery of life-saving antimalarial medicines, especially for at-risk groups like young children, newborns, and pregnant women. We also recognize that our leadership team, board, researchers, and partners must reflect the diversity of the populations we serve and provide equitable opportunities for career advancement and decision-making.”
Progress and Challenges in Gender Equality
Achieving gender equality through gender-related policies and practices is a key goal in international development, highlighted by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, while Goal 10 seeks to reduce inequality within and among countries.
The report shows notable progress in the global health sector. For the first time, boards have achieved gender parity and are more diverse than ever before. Among the 87 non-profits assessed annually by Global Health 50/50 since 2018, 51% of board chairs are women, up from 30% in 2018. However, the private sector lags behind; despite an eight-fold increase in female board chairs, women only make up 16% of these positions.
Despite these advances, inequality persists. Only 2% of non-profit board seats are held by women from low-income countries, rising to 15% when including middle-income countries. In comparison, 17% of non-profit board seats are held by men from the United States.
MMV’s continued recognition as a leader in gender equality highlights the importance of persistent efforts and the need for further progress in achieving true equity in global health leadership.
