Marking the 2022 “Lesotho Women in Medicine” gala one-year anniversary, the inaugural WIML Congress took place on 24th November 2023. Under the theme of “Medicine, Women and Health Governance”, approximately 55 participants represented medical partnerships between Lesotho’s legal and financial sectors. The Congress opening incorporated a dedication to Gender-based violence (GBV) in affiliation with simultaneous global affairs. WIML Patron, Dr. Nonkosi Tlale chaired the first session, which centered on the governance theme. Other sessions focused on female medical professional roles and functions within Mental Health, Medicine and Law, Financial Literacy as well as the Private Health Sector. A post-Congress evening social gathering attended by featured speakers of the day offered a spectacular view of the Maseru skyline from the venue. On 25th November 2023, inaugural annual WIML activities continued with a morning business meeting at which the Executive Committee engaged with around 21 individuals. Discussions addressed governance issues for 2024 in addition to WIML’s medium and long-term timeframes. Later in the day, an evening gala graced by more than 70 attendees was the finale event of the two days. A memorable moment in the gala event programme was an opening video speech delivered by MWIA Near East and Africa Regional Vice-President Dr. Claribel Abam. The gala’s keynote speaker, renowned female Mosotho Cardiologist Dr. Makoali Makotoko, provided noteworthy insights on advances among female healthcare professionals.
December 2023 marks the sixth month of WIML’s membership in MWIA as the 41st national association. Initial arrangements for Lesotho’s representation within MWIA began in September 2022. lesotho coordinated the first Executive Committee meeting in December 2022. WIML work priorities cover Research, Networking, Career Satisfaction, Continuous Professional Development, Community Projects and Mentorship. WIML participated as an observer in the first MWIA Global Co-ordination Meeting (GCM) held in January 2023. Consequent to registration of its Constitution with the Lesotho Office of the Registrar General in April 2023, WIML became a MWIA member in May 2023. WIML afterwards participated in the second MWIA GCM meeting as well as the SIG webinar on Health and Climate Change in June 2023. Also in June 2023, WIML submitted its first contribution to the MWIA quarterly publication. The editorial section of that publication included a specific mention of “WIML’s new logo, symbolizing diversity, togetherness, national unity, protection and ‘wholeness’.” Through MWIA’s WHO partnership on Emergency Preparedness and Community Health, WIML and the WHO Knowledge Sharing Platform met virtually in September 2023. Concurrent to honouring commitments to MWIA events, WIML has hosted three Continuous Professional Development (CPD) events throughout 2023.
Fig 1. WIML 2023 awareness poster to commemorate the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence