The 10th World Congress of Women’s Mental Health, organised by the International Association for Women’s Mental Health (IAWMH), co-hosted by the NIMHANS and the Psychotherapy Advanced Research Centre (PARC), commenced on 5th March 2025 at the NIMHANS Convention Centre in Bengaluru. The conference will conclude on 8th March 2025, following four days of discussions, scientific presentations and workshops about key issues affecting women’s mental health across holistic dimensions.
According to IAWMH, the objective of the event is “to integrate mental health discussions into broader healthcare systems and address intersectional challenges faced by women today.” Delegates from over fifty countries and over 800 professionals from around the world are attending the conference, including psychiatrists, psychologists, researchers, policymakers, and mental health professionals. Furthermore, the event features more than 90 symposia, case conferences, and panel discussions.
The theme of the 10th World Congress of Women’s Mental Health
The theme of this year’s conference is “Inclusion and Integration Across the Lifespan”. The theme aims to bridge the gaps in mental health care and policy implementation by emphasising the unique mental health challenges faced by women in different life stages. The key discussion topics cover perinatal mental health, adolescent mental health, mental health of caregivers, workplace mental health and gender disparities in access to support.
Event Highlights
The main events of the 10th World Congress of Women’s Mental Health include the Opening Ceremony, Presidential Address, IAWMH General Assembly, and Conference Fringe activities. The congress has already held many insightful discussions and workshops over the first two days of the conference.
- Former WHO Director of Mental Health, Prof. Norman Sartorius, delivered the keynote address on Mental Health Priorities in 2025. He stated “The mental health of women must be prioritized globally, not just in terms of treatment, but in proactive care and policy-making,” calling for policy-driven change and systemic interventions.
- “Empowering Minds, Embracing Gender: Creative Dialogue on Women’s Mental Health”, a pre-conference event, invited over 350 university students to engage in activities like slam poetry, poster making, and interactive theatre.
- Several pre-conference workshops were also held, exploring themes of Advancing Research in Women’s Mental Health, Perinatal and Maternal Mental Health Support, Targeted Interventions
for Mental Health Disorders, Trauma, Suicide, and Recovery in Women’s Mental Health, and Sexuality, Gender, and Inclusive Mental Health Care. The upcoming events include various interactive sessions such as art installations and theatre performances, poetry and book readings, highlighting the lived experiences of women and inclusive mental health narratives. The event will conclude with a final plenary and closing ceremony, which will address the stigma and barriers in women’s mental health care and provide final recommendations for policymakers and mental health practitioners.
Conclusion
The 10th Congress of Women’s Mental Health is a landmark in women’s mental health, especially for women in developing countries like India. Professor Prabha Chandra, President of the International Association for Women’s Mental Health (IAWMH) and Dean of Behavioural Sciences at NIMHANS, has emphasised the importance of organising the event in Bengaluru.
As the first IAWMH congress to be organised in South Asia, this event marks a turning point in placing women’s mental health on the global agenda. The focus on inclusivity and integration will foster discussions to improve policy frameworks and mental healthcare access worldwide, particularly in regions where awareness is still expanding.
Leave feedback about this