Women Leaders Driving Change Across Countries: India, Ghana, and Zambia build momentum for Gender Equity in Eye Health

By: Manish Kumar, Juanita Otchwemah Aryeh, Chishimba Chibwe, Jennifer Tapia Boada.‍

As WLEH continues to grow as a global platform for leadership, innovation, and systems change, some of the most inspiring progress is taking place at the national level.

Across India, Ghana, and Zambia, women leaders, professional networks, and local champions are creating opportunities for mentorship and collective action, demonstrating what gender-transformative leadership looks like in practice. These initiatives reflect the shared belief that when women are supported to lead, health systems become better equipped to serve communities.

India: A New Cohort of Women Leaders Steps Forward

One of the most significant milestones this year was the successful completion of the OCI SPARK Women Leadership Program 3.0, implemented through WLEH, by the Orbis team in India and in partnership with the Elite School of Optometry, a unit of Medical Research Foundation and Optometry Confederation of India (OCI).

Twenty-eight women optometrists graduated from the program in August 2026, after six months of leadership development, peer learning, and professional growth. The program was designed to strengthen leadership capacities while encouraging participants to expand their influence beyond clinical practice to strengthen community eye health and into mentorship, stakeholder engagement, and systems improvement.

The graduation ceremony included a panel discussion: "Contributing to Larger Impact in Community Eye Health: Learning from Women Leaders in Optometry, Stories, Experiences & Inspirations."  

During the ceremony, participants heard directly from accomplished women leaders who shared defining moments from their professional journeys, lessons learned, and reflections on balancing leadership responsibilities and personal wellbeing.

Orbis President and CEO Kathleen Sherwin joined virtually and encouraged graduates to embrace leadership at every stage of their careers through three simple principles: Lead from where you are; make leadership a multiplier; and stay connected.

This program greatly illustrates how leadership development can create ripple effects far beyond individual participants, strengthening institutions, expanding mentorship networks, and contributing to a more diverse and representative eye health workforce.

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Ghana: Preparing for a Landmark Gathering of Women in Eye Health

Momentum is also building in Ghana, where preparations are underway for a major WLEH workshop and conference planned for the end of September 2026 in Accra.

The event: "Beyond Clinical Excellence: Collaborative Leadership and Mental Wellness for Women in Eye Health," is expected to bring together approximately 120+ women eye health professionals, including ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists, optical technicians, opticians, Ophthalmic nursing students, program staff, and emerging leaders.

The workshop is built around a simple but powerful premise: leadership extends far beyond position or title. Through panel discussions, networking opportunities, and conversations on wellbeing, participants will explore how collaboration, resilience, mentorship, and mutual support can strengthen eye health systems and help women thrive professionally.

The event will also create an important opportunity to capture stories from women whose journeys have intersected with WLEH over several years, including former professional development beneficiaries and emerging leaders who continue to shape eye health in Ghana and beyond.

Importantly, the workshop is designed not only as a learning event, but as a platform for building networks, amplifying women’s voices, and strengthening a growing community of women leaders in eye health.
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Zambia: Strengthening Networks Through Women in Ophthalmology

In Zambia, efforts continue to focus on creating spaces where women professionals can connect, mentor one another, and strengthen their influence within the eye health sector. Earlier this year, a cohort of female eye health professionals completed a customized leadership training, supporting them to continue to develop their skills and connecting them together as a wider peer group.  

As part of these efforts, Orbis Zambia is preparing to convene a Women in Ophthalmology (WIO) Annual Meeting alongside the Zambia Ophthalmological Society Congress in Lusaka this November. The gathering will bring together women eye health professionals to discuss leadership, professional development, mentorship, and strategies for advancing women’s participation and visibility across the profession.

The meeting will also provide an opportunity to showcase WLEH initiatives and strengthen awareness of available leadership opportunities, including hosting a dynamic local Coffee Hour event.  

Through plenary sessions, panel discussions, and workshops, participants will identify priority actions for strengthening women’s leadership in Zambia and advancing gender equity within eye health systems.

Zambia continues to demonstrate how locally driven professional networks can help women support one another, develop leadership skills, and contribute to broader institutional change.

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A Shared Vision

While the activities in the three countries are different in format, they share a common goal: creating pathways for women to connect, learn, lead, and influence change.

Country teams are increasingly adapting WLEH approaches to local contexts while contributing to a broader global movement for gender equity in eye health.

They show that meaningful change is often built through community, and the collective belief that leadership can, and should, be accessible to everyone.

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As WLEH continues to grow, the experiences emerging from countries like India, Ghana, and Zambia demonstrate that the future of eye health leadership is already taking shape, one community and one leader at a time.