Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Abrams
Hi Lauren, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Women in Global Health (WGH) is a global movement working to achieve gender equity in global health leadership by advocating for women’s representation, fair policies, and inclusive decision-making. Through its chapters worldwide, WGH drives systemic change to ensure that women, who make up the majority of the health workforce, have equal opportunities to lead and shape health policies. WGH has 58 chapters in 53 countries, linking global advocacy with local experience.
The Georgia chapter formed in early 2020 and launched at the beginning of the pandemic.
Atlanta is a major hub for global health nonprofit work, with home to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), leading nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions. Atlanta is often called the public health capital of the world (see Rollins website: https://sph.emory.edu/about/index.html#:~:text=The%20public%20health%20school’s%20location,numerous%20state%20and%20regional%20health)
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One challenge has been starting a volunteer organization of busy professionals. It has been a learning process to find the right balance of activities our chapter can support.
It was challenging to launch the chapter in the middle of the pandemic. All of our activities for the first two years were entirely virtual. We had a lot of engagement but also some Zoom fatigue.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Women in Global Health Georgia is the Georgia chapter of a global movement to advance women’s leadership in global health. Our chapter focuses on supporting professional development for our members, advancing advocacy priorities, and building community. Currently our advocacy priority is around caregiving.
Our approach to professional development is something that sets us apart. We focus on professional development for mid-career professionals, specifically women who work in the field of global health. One event we hosted was about failing forward – how to learn from your mistakes and turn them into something positive. Our next professional development event is focused on honing your elevator pitch; it’s also a networking opportunity.
We brought together subject matter experts from multiple countries to talk about sexual and reproductive health, specifically access to abortion care, at the 2023 American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting. The event was well attended (standing room only) and was groundbreaking in that it was many people’s first time participating in an abortion-focused session at APHA. We are really proud of the event!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Best: greenspace, diversity
Least: lack of public transportation/ car dependency
Pricing:
- It is free to become a member of WGH GA!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wghgeorgiausa.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wghgeorgiausa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553297016461
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womeninglobalhealth/
- Twitter: https://x.com/WGHGeorgiaUSA
Image Credits
Lauren Abrams, Alyssa Lowe
