Celebrating exceptional women leadership in global health

The Crown Princess's greeting during a celebration in honor of pioneering women Sigrun Møgedal and Gro Harlem Brundtland on the occasion of International Women's Day, Friday 8 March 2024.

Dear everyone,

First, I would like to thank the University of Oslo, the Centre for Global Health, Norad and Women in Global Health Norway.

Thank you for using the International Women's Day as an opportunity to highlight women who have spent their lives working for global health. Because these women are needed. And unfortunately we hear far too little and rarely about many of them.

Women's health is still strongly under-prioritized both nationally and internationally.

Today, I think it is important to remember that although women account for 70% of the global workforce in health, there are only 25% women in management positions around hospitals and health clinics.

It is dramatic that only 5% of leadership positions at a global level in health are held by women, according to a report by Women in Global Health and figures from the National Library of Medicine.

Therefore, there is even greater reason to celebrate two leaders who many know well - and who have left a deep mark on the world through their work and leadership:

Gro Harlem Brundtland and Sigrun Møgedal.

It was not particularly difficult to say yes when I was asked to say a few words about a very special lady, with whom I have been lucky enough to work closely for many, many years.

Sigrun Møgedal is a trained doctor and has a diploma in tropical medicine. For over ten years, she worked in the health service in Nepal.

Back in Norway in the early 1980s, she worked in the Church's Emergency Service before becoming director of the International Center of the Deacons' Home. At the end of the 90s, the road went on to Norad and eventually to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Møgedal has held important positions in the World Health Organization and in the global AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria fund. From 2005 until she retired, she was Norway's AIDS ambassador.

Dear Sigrun,

I have rarely been as proud to be Norwegian Crown Princess abroad as when I have traveled with you.

Whether it has been to Nicaragua or Ukraine, international AIDS conferences, in cramped meeting rooms in secluded back streets - or in the UN General Assembly. In meetings with vulnerable groups or with state leaders.

We met for the first time in 2003, when I was a hospitalist at Norad - at the time when Hilde Frafjord Johnson was Minister for Development.

You talked in and out about the systems and financing models in the global AIDS work.

I, who was quite new to the field, was completely dizzy - but immediately realized that I was dealing with an enormous capacity here.

And in that span - between all your experience and systemic understanding - and my human commitment to youth and vulnerable groups - there we found each other. And, I would argue, became a dream team.

Without drawing the comparison too far, I sometimes think of the two of us as Thelma and Louise, Sigrun. The road movie from the 90s, where two tough ladies - with completely different personalities and strengths - achieve the most incredible things and defy adversity.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs probably sometimes found it a bit difficult to keep track of us. But the point is that together we achieved a lot that we can be really proud of today. Not least thanks to the enormous respect you have earned - and which we met in all contexts.

I would like to mention two of the traces of you and our joint work from this time:

One is that in these years UNAIDS laid a solid youth strategy - created by, with and for young people - where their voices were finally seriously heard. It was actually groundbreaking within the entire UN system.

The other is the Robert Carr Fund. We were not too proud when it was launched in Washington in 2011. A fund that is based exclusively on HIV-positive people's own experience, knowledge and participation.

And that is precisely one of your great strengths, Sigrun: You have always kept in close contact with the HIV-positive communities and individuals - both in Norway and around the world. Listened to them, worked for them, used their experiences in the structural work.

This also contributed to your receiving the Pluss award from HIV Norway in 2017.

When you were awarded the Order of St. Olav in 2011, Jonas Gahr Støre said that you have made the world a little better.

And that is absolutely true. With knowledge, courage, perhaps a necessary dose of naivety and a unique ability to build bridges and trust - you have made people meet and systems work.

You always reminded us that it's about people. Individuals, families, lives that contain much more than a diagnosis. Where one tries to the best of one's ability to live with oneself, one's loved ones, and make everyday life work.

Through countless meetings with vulnerable people, I think this remains with both of us: The belief in the strength of people - and in what we can achieve together.

Norway has good reason to be proud of having had you in its service as an AIDS ambassador and as a professional in international health for so many years, dear Sigrun.

I hope that many of the younger people here today will be inspired - both by you and by Gro Harlem Brundtland.

We need many people to carry the torch forward.

Thank you, Sigrun - on behalf of all of us.