Key Outcomes for Global Development from Women Deliver 2026

18 August 2026

Women Deliver recently released a WD2026 post-conference report entitled ‘What Comes Next’, looking at both the indicators and the implications of many of the outcomes of the gathering, which took place in Melbourne in May. The key focus was the response to the Melbourne Declaration for Gender Equality, which was finalised at the WD conference following two years of consultation and drafting.

WiAD Chair, Jill Scanlon, takes a closer look at what this means below.

To quote WD:

“The Melbourne Declaration for Gender Equality is a shared, signable commitment to rebuild the way gender equality work is done. Built by more than 900 people across every region of the world, it calls for power, resources, and accountability to be rebalanced toward people — and for States, movements, funders, institutions, and allies to act together for a gender-just future.”

No mean feat, but nothing less than what is required.

The catalyst for the creation of the declaration was the global rise in authoritarianism, increasing threats to human rights, and identified serious flaws in the international development sector, in addition to the ground that was lost due to the pandemic. 

So, the purpose behind this was to attempt to, or at the very least advocate for, a shift in power, resources, and accountability away from centralised donor institutions and back toward local movements, feminist movements, and communities.

The core goals of the declaration are therefore about rebalancing power, making states accountable and ensuring that grassroots, local movements are given a voice and a place at the table as part of the decision-making.

It was considered a matter of urgency due to the apparent and obvious erosion of rights across the board, along with what has become systemic crises underlined by institutional and financial strain within traditional international development frameworks, and the ongoing remnants of colonialism influencing aid and funding models through the prevalence of concentrated decision-making from the top down.

And the result, now several months post-conference, the declaration has received almost 830 endorsements, 318 being from organisations, plus support for the related States Declaration from almost a dozen nations as well as many global leaders, strengthening the foundations for much of the work being done, and still to be done, on gender equality.

The report also highlighted the success in gaining substantial financial commitments to the amount of almost US$2 billion at the conference, with the Australian government pledging over US$90 million, prioritising women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). As part of this, philanthropy has, interestingly, if not surprisingly, given the drastic reduction in aid funding globally, become an increasingly important source of support for the pursuit of these outcomes, as evidenced by the recent research report released by AIDN (Australian International Development Network), an organisation which also took part in WD2026. The AIDN report looks at the increasing level and impact of philanthropic funding and social impact investment.

While we could look deeper at specific programs, nations, and cohorts in relation to the WD2026 outcomes, it would take more space than we have. Suffice it to say, this global conference had an impact beyond the tangible, which has further strengthened frameworks for the issue of gender equality and all the developmental ripples from this issue, and which will be felt for years to come.

Read Jill’s recap from WD2026 here.