Women Deliver 2026 Conference

Through extensive collaboration between Melbourne Convention Bureau, government and regional partners and supported by Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund program, Melbourne was selected to host Women Deliver 2026, the first time the conference would be held in the Oceania Pacific Region.

With 189 countries represented and well over half the delegation flying in from overseas, this was the most internationally diverse conference Melbourne has hosted. The program drew current and former heads of government, United Nations leadership and ministers from across the Pacific, alongside advocates, and researchers working across gender equality, reproductive rights and climate justice, proof that Australia can attract the right speakers to deliver a successful international business event. 

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is the first venue of its kind to hold a 6-Star rating for sustainable building design and operation, and is EarthCheck Platinum certified, credentials that mattered to Women Deliver’s organisers. The event also set a high bar on accessibility with multilingual materials in English, French and Spanish, sign language interpretation across plenary and concurrent sessions, on-site childcare, a dedicated accessibility desk and trauma-informed support on hand throughout.

The event generated close to USD$1.8 billion in financial commitments, including USD$281.5 million in new grants. Among them, the Australian Government’s USD$90.2 million investment in regional gender equality programs, a USD$62.5 million commitment from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to women’s rights organisations, and a USD$61 million pledge from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation to help end child marriage. 

Another legacy outcome from the event was the launch of the Melbourne Declaration for Gender Equality, a shared commitment towards gender equality rooted in intersectional justice. Built by more than 900 participants from all global regions, the declaration features actionable steps towards change. As of September, the declaration has received more than 920 endorsements, including 357 from organisations and 11 governments have signed the States Declaration.