Birdsall House Conference on Gender Equality

This annual event identifies and highlights leading research and scholarly findings on women’s empowerment in the field of development economics. Past conferences have focused on family planning as a tool for economic empowerment, the role of the private sector in improving the lives of women and girls, and high-impact donor interventions such as cash transfers to women. The conference series is named after CGD’s founding president Nancy Birdsall.
 

More from the Series

Nov

18

2025

HYBRID
Washington, DC
9:00—5:30 PM ET | 2:00—10:30 PM GMT

Beyond the Backlash: Charting a New Course for Women and Work in a Changing Global Economy

et al.
October 01, 2025
This year's conference brings together experts and thought leaders from a range of backgrounds to forge an evidence-based path to change. Together, we'll examine key challenges, share rigorous research findings, and uncover practical strategies to keep gender equality at the heart of global developm...

Nov

29

2023

HYBRID
Washington, DC
9:00—2:00 PM ET / 14:00—18:45 GMT

9th Annual Birdsall House Conference on Gender Equality

October 25, 2023
Join us for this year's 9th Annual Birdsall House Conference on Gender Equality, where we will shine a spotlight on the theme, "Women on the Rise: Breaking Barriers in International Financial Institutions." This conference promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of the challenges women face, ...

Dec

1

2022

VIRTUAL
10:30—12:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

8th Annual Birdsall House Conference on Gender Equality: Global Childcare and ECD Investments: Forging a Shared Agenda

October 31, 2022
At this year’s Birdsall House Conference, we will convene researchers, policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and donors to review the latest rigorous evidence on return-on-investment opportunities, promising models for provision, and the necessary financing arrangements, laws, and policies to crea...

Nov

9

2021

VIRTUAL
10:00—12:45 PM EASTERN TIME (US AND CANADA)

7th Annual Birdsall House Conference: COVID as a Gendered Crisis: Forging a Shared Agenda for Inclusive Recovery

October 25, 2021
In early 2021, CGD launched the COVID-19 Gender and Development Initiative with two objectives: increase the importance of gender equality on the policy agendas of global decision-makers in COVID response and recovery, and generate resources to ensure their decisions are evidence-based. Since then, ...