ELSIE WANDERA -GME 2026 SESSION -Watch & download
From Silence to Science
Turning Lived Experience into Evidence-Based Advocacy in Women’s Midlife Health
What happens when a personal health experience becomes the starting point for a movement?
For many women, conditions such as endometriosis can remain misunderstood, underdiagnosed and poorly addressed for years. But lived experience can become a powerful catalyst for research, advocacy and policy change.
In this recorded session from the Global Menoeduca-thon 2026, Elsie Wandera, a leading Kenyan endometriosis advocate and researcher, explores how lived experience can be transformed into evidence-based advocacy and why women’s voices matter in shaping the future of midlife health.
Through her journey, Elsie brings together personal experience, research, advocacy and policy to examine how we can move from silence and stigma toward greater understanding and meaningful change.
What You Will Learn
How lived experience can drive meaningful health advocacy
Why evidence matters in advancing women’s health
The connection between personal stories, research and policy change
Lessons from endometriosis advocacy that can inform broader midlife health conversations
Why women need to be active participants in shaping health systems and policies
How advocacy can move beyond awareness toward sustainable change
This session is for women, advocates, researchers, healthcare professionals and anyone interested in building a stronger, evidence-informed future for women’s health.
About Elsie Wandera
Elsie Wandera, based in Kenya, is the Founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of Kenya, Co-Chair of the World Endometriosis Organisation, and a member of the World Endometriosis Society.
A researcher, advocate and speaker, Elsie has spent over a decade transforming her own diagnosis into a national and global advocacy platform.
Her work sits at the intersection of lived experience, research and policy, with a focus on changing how endometriosis is understood, recognized and treated.
Her journey demonstrates the power of turning personal experience into knowledge, knowledge into advocacy, and advocacy into action.
Access the full recorded session and discover how lived experience can become a powerful force for evidence-based change in women’s midlife health.