Over the past few years, Daniela Schardinger has had the privilege of serving on the Innovation Equity Forum (IEF) Steering Committee — a joint initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. This work has involved multiple working groups, ongoing global collaboration, and dedicated in-person engagements in Washington, D.C. — all centered around a shared objective: identifying critical gaps in women’s health, advancing equity, and supp

Joining the Innovation Equity Forum (IEF) Steering Committee — a joint initiative of the NIH and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — is an opportunity to contribute to a broader global movement focused on redefining women’s health. For decades, women’s health has largely been framed through the lens of reproduction — centered on fertility, pregnancy, and childbirth. While these areas remain essential, they represent only a portion of the health challenges women face through