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Unlocking Women’s Health and Economic Potential

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By 2030, 1.2 billion women worldwide will be in menopause or postmenopause, many at the peak of their professional lives. Yet, menopause remains chronically underfunded, under-researched, and absent from the health systems and workplace policies meant to support them. Workforce exits, lost productivity, and diminished quality of life carry a significant economic cost that governments and employers can no longer afford to ignore.

Momentum is building. Menopause is now being discussed at the highest levels of government, in boardrooms, and across global health forums. This program seizes that moment, convening leaders not simply to raise awareness, but to drive action. Across three sessions, participants will assess treatment and access gaps, examine the health and socioeconomic impacts of unmanaged symptoms, share global best practices, and identify the policy interventions and innovations needed to integrate menopause care into mainstream health systems.

The ambition is clear: to position menopause where it belongs, as a standalone global health and socioeconomic priority, and to leave with concrete commitments that advance women’s health, rights, and economic participation in midlife and beyond.

Held alongside the World Health Assembly in Geneva, this convening brings together policymakers, health practitioners, researchers, advocates, and industry leaders to address one of the most systematically neglected issues in global health: menopause.

Explore additional insights and data in Foreign Policy Analytics’ latest research report on The Health and Economic Impacts of Menopause.



Event Details

May 20th, 2026
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. CET
Doors will open for lunch & registration at 12:30 p.m. CET

Restaurant Vieux Bois
Av. de la Paix 12,
1202 Geneva, Switzerland

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In Partnership With

Speakers

Dr. Cecilia Caetano
Vp, Global Medical Affairs and Evidence Generation Lead Women's Health, Bayer

Cecilia Caetano is an experienced Medical Affairs professional currently serving as the Vice President and Global Medical Affairs and Evidence Generation Lead for Women’s Health at Bayer. With extensive clinical practice experience and board certifications in Gynecology, Gynecological Oncology, Reproductive Medicine, and Obstetrics, Cecilia has held various significant roles in medical affairs, including leading global strategies for menopause management and contraceptive healthcare at Bayer. Prior to this, they were a Consultant in the Gynecology and Obstetrics department at Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, where they contributed to clinical practice guidelines and participated in research studies. Cecilia completed their medical residency and further advanced their knowledge with a post-graduation in Biomedical Law from the Universidade de Coimbra.

Sofia Calltorp
Director of UN Women in Geneva & Chief of Humanitarian Action, UN Women

Sofia Calltorp is the Director of UN Women in Geneva and UN Women’s Chief of Humanitarian Action. In this role, she leads UN Women’s work in Geneva across the organization’s triple mandate as well as its humanitarian section. 

Ms. Calltorp has over 25 years of experience working in diplomacy, humanitarian affairs, human rights, and development across different regions and organizations. She is a recognized and experienced leader focusing on forging strong partnerships with a multitude of actors to collectively achieve results, and has a strong track record in resource mobilization, international negotiations, strategic communication, and leading and motivating empowered and diverse teams. 

Prior to joining UN Women, Ms. Calltorp served as Ambassador and Special Envoy of the Swedish Government for gender issues. She has also served as Sweden’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, where she chaired the International Donor Group, mobilizing and coordinating the international community for a collective response to the multidimensional challenges following the fall of Robert Mugabe. As International Director of the Swedish Red Cross, she successfully worked within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as well as with other actors such as the UN to deliver on core humanitarian objectives across crisis contexts around the globe, such as Yemen, Sudan, and Myanmar. 

Her previous positions have included Deputy Head of Mission in Khartoum/Juba as well as at the Swedish Mission in Geneva, working on humanitarian affairs and human rights. She has also headed the humanitarian section at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, responsible for humanitarian policy and partnerships with UN/OCHA, WFP, UNHCR, and ICRC, and actively engaged in the negotiations of the Grand Bargain ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul. 

Ms. Calltorp holds a Master’s degree (International Law/Human Rights) from Columbia University and a Master of Science (Political Science) from Uppsala University. She has also conducted advanced studies in European Politics at Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (IEP) and in French at Université de Bordeaux. She is fluent in English, French, and Swedish and has basic knowledge of Italian and Spanish

Allison Carlson
Executive Vice President, Foreign Policy

Allison Carlson is the Executive Vice President of FP Analytics, Foreign Policy’s independent research and advisory division, and FP Events. She oversees FPA’s cross-cutting research at the intersection of policy, technology, and global markets as well as Foreign Policy’s global dialogues and convenings. Prior to these roles, Carlson led FP Analytics’ energy and technology team for more than a decade, evaluating evolving climate and emissions policies and identifying opportunities for advanced technology deployment internationally.

Before joining FP, she led the Latin America program for a boutique consulting firm assisting European companies on investing in emerging markets’ energy and financial sectors. Carlson has presented her work at a variety of international conferences and before the U.S. Senate. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where she received a master’s degree in international relations and international economics.

Dr. Patricia Clark
Secretary of the General Health Council, United Mexican States

Dr. Patricia Clark is the Secretary of the General Health Council, a collegiate body that reports to the President of the Republic with the status of a health authority, whose mission is to identify priority issues of general health with national impact. Her experience includes:

  • Rheumatologist and Clinical Epidemiologist
  • Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Science from McMaster University, Canada and UNAM, and postdoctoral studies at the University of San Diego, California
  • National Researcher Emeritus of the National System of Researchers of the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI)
  • Member of the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico and the Mexican Academy of Sciences
  • Member of the Governing Board of UNAM (2017–2025), of CONACEM and of the International Osteoporosis Foundation
  • Member of the Editorial Committee of the journal Osteoporosis International and co-editor of the Gaceta Médica de México
  • “Woman of the Year” in 2024 by the National Board of Mexican Women
  • She has published more than 173 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, which have received more than 21,000 international citations
  • Prior to her appointment as Secretary of the Council, she served as Head of the Clinical Epidemiology Unit of the Federico Gómez Children’s Hospital – Faculty of Medicine UNAM
Chidi King
Chief of the Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Branch, International Labour Organization

Chidi King is Chief of the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch, part of the Conditions of Work and Equality Department of the International Labour Organization. The Branch strives for the elimination of discrimination, including based on gender, race, ethnicity, indigenous status, disability and HIV status, utilizing an integrated and intersectional approach. Before joining the ILO, Ms. King was Director of the Equality Department at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), where she led work with trade unions on pay equity, the care economy, gender-based violence and harassment at work, women’s leadership, young workers, and rights of migrant workers. Ms. King has also worked as Equality and Rights Officer for the Public Services International, a Global Union Federation, and as Employment Rights Officer for the Trade Union Congress of the UK. A lawyer by background, Ms. King was the senior lawyer of the charity Public Concern at Work (PCaW), where she contributed to the drafting of the UK’s Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. She has also served on the Board of PCaW, now known as “Protect”. Ms. King has spent over 20 years providing legal and policy advice on issues of equality and non-discrimination with various private, public, and not-for-profit sector organizations.

Tita Korvenoja
Director for International Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Republic of Finland

Ms. Tita Korvenoja is the Director for International Affairs at the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

With over 30 years of professional experience in international cooperation, her expertise spans public administration, international organizations, and policy advisory roles. She joined the Ministry in January 2026, following nearly seven years in Nairobi with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). As Chief of Branch in UNEP’s Law Division, she led efforts to strengthen environmental governance and supported the implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.

Prior to her time at UNEP, Ms. Korvenoja headed the International and EU Affairs Unit at the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. Her extensive career within the Finnish government has included climate change negotiations, EU and regional cooperation, and engagement with numerous UN programs. She holds a Master of Political Science from the University of Helsinki, where she graduated in 1992, majoring in international relations.

Anouk Petersen
Director, McKinsey & Co.; Director of Women's Health, McKinsey Health Institute

Anouk is a partner in McKinsey’s Geneva office and a leader in our Public Sector, Social Sector, and Life Science Practices. She is also the Director of Women’s Health at the McKinsey Health Institute, a non-profit-generating institute within the firm that aspires to catalyze action to add 45 billion years of higher-quality life for all people around the world.

She leads our Social Sector Hub activities in Europe and for 10+ years has been serving clients across public, private, and social sectors on health-related topics, motivated by a personal passion for equity, diversity, and inclusion—particularly health equity, gender equality, and women’s empowerment. She is a coauthor of the “Closing the women’s health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies.”

Anouk has a deep understanding of the global public health (GPH) ecosystem, and extensive experience in supporting GPH organizations in implementing public health initiatives at scale internationally. She also has experience in strategy, corporate finance, and organizational and operational topics across the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Claus Runge
Senior Vice President, Global Head of Public Affairs, Sustainability & International Engagement, ...

Since February 2018, Claus Runge led the Global Market Access group, as of July 2019, the Global Market Access, Public Affairs & Sustainability Group, and as of June 2024, he is leading the Public Affairs, Sustainability & Internal Engagement Group at Bayer AG – Division Pharmaceuticals, and acts as its Chief Health Equity Officer.

Claus Runge has twenty-five years of experience in working in the pharmaceutical industry. He has held senior roles on both local and global level in various multinational companies, such as GSK, Wyeth, and AstraZeneca. In his career, he has been responsible for a broad span of functions, including Commercial, Pricing & Market Access, Communications, Governmental Affairs, as well as Patient Advocacy. 

Claus Runge is a pharmacist and health economist by training and holds a Ph.D. from Humboldt University in Berlin. He served as one of the editors of the European Journal of Health Economics from 2006-2017, helping it to become a renowned journal in the field. He has published numerous articles in high-impact journals, with a focus on health economics and quality of life research. Since 2022, he serves as a board member of the “Technologiestiftung Berlin”.

Dr. Marla Shapiro, C.M.
Family Physician and Expert in Community Medicine and Public Health, Medical Journalist, and Prof...

Marla Shapiro, C.M., MDCM, CCFP, MHSc, FRCPC, FCFP, MSCP is a Family Physician and expert in Community Medicine and Public Health, medical journalist, and Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is a Fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada. 

Dr. Shapiro is widely known for her work as a trusted health communicator, serving as CTV News Channel’s medical expert and appearing regularly on other national media platforms. 

In addition to her clinical practice, she is recognized for her leadership in women’s health, health promotion, and cancer survivorship. Dr. Shapiro is a passionate advocate for translating complex medical information into accessible, actionable guidance for patients and the public. She sits on the Board of Trustees of the International Menopause Society.

In 2025, she was bestowed with Honorary Membership to The Menopause Society, one of only  4 ever appointees of this honor. The Society has bestowed these individuals with an Honorary Membership due to their exceptional contributions either to the field of menopause or to the Society. She is the first Canadian to have received this recognition.

She was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada, the highest national recognition as a civilian for her contributions to health education and public communication.

Andrew Sollinger
CEO & Publisher, Foreign Policy

Andrew Sollinger is CEO & publisher of Foreign Policy, the world’s leading geopolitical media organization. Since joining FP in 2018, he has helped to build teams and drive growth in a diversified set of subscription, event, research and audio formats. Previously, Andrew was EVP of Subscriptions at Business Insider, Executive Director of Capital New York (now Politico NY) and Managing Director of the Financial Times Americas. He was part of the executive team that built and sold Money-Media to the FT in 2008. A former reporter and editor for Institutional Investor magazine, Andrew has lived in London, Hong Kong and New York. He is a graduate of Clark University in Worcester, MA.

Agenda

12:30 PM CET

Registration & Networking Lunch

1:00 PM CET

Opening Remarks

Allison Carlson, Executive Vice President, Foreign Policy

1:35 PM CET

Seizing the Menopause Moment: A Call for Global Leadership

Dr. Patricia Clark, Secretary of the General Health Council, United Mexican States

Tita Korvenoja, Director for International Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Republic of Finland

Moderated by Andrew Sollinger, CEO & Publisher, Foreign Policy

1:50 PM CET

Are Health Systems Ready? Integrating Menopause Into Mainstream Care

Dr. Cecilia Caetano, Vp, Global Medical Affairs and Evidence Generation Lead Women's Health, Bayer

Dr. Marla Shapiro, C.M., Family Physician and Expert in Community Medicine and Public Health, Medical Journalist, and Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto

Moderated by Allison Carlson, Executive Vice President, Foreign Policy

2:10 PM CET

The Economic Imperative: Why Supporting Women Strengthens Competitiveness

Sofia Calltorp, Director of UN Women in Geneva & Chief of Humanitarian Action, UN Women

Anouk Petersen, Director, McKinsey & Co.; Director of Women's Health, McKinsey Health Institute

Dr. Claus Runge, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Public Affairs, Sustainability & International Engagement, Bayer

Moderated by Allison Carlson, Executive Vice President, Foreign Policy

2:40 PM CET

Placing Menopause on the Global Agenda

Chidi King, Chief of the Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Branch, International Labour Organization

Moderated by Andrew Sollinger, CEO & Publisher, Foreign Policy

2:55 PM CET

Closing Remarks

Allison Carlson, Executive Vice President, Foreign Policy

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