Barbara Ward Lectures

The Barbara Ward Lecture series celebrates IIED's founder, Barbara Ward, a distinguished economist, journalist, and policy advisor who was among the earliest advocates of sustainable development. Also a renowned speaker, Ward's lectures influenced audiences around the world. Now the institute organises lectures by the current generation of outstanding women in development in honour of Ward's pioneering work and the inspiration she gave to many.

Gro Harlem Brundtland's speech was followed by a question and answer session with the audience (Photo: Julius Honnor/Contentious)

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2018 Barbara Ward Lecture: Gro Harlem Brundtland calls for people to speak out against simplistic politics of populism

Urban climate action champion Debra Roberts gave the 2016 Barbara Ward Lecture (Image: IIED)

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2016 Barbara Ward Lecture: Debra Roberts says global urbanisation strategy needs greater focus on practical implementation

Fatima Denton delivers the 2014 Barbara Ward Lecture at the British Library in London in November 2014 (Photo: Julius Honnor/IIED)

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2014 Barbara Ward Lecture: Fatima Denton calls for a "new paradigm" for African development

Christiana Figueres is executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. She used her appearance at the 2012 Barbara Ward Lecture to call for an "energy revolution"

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2012 Barbara Ward Lecture: Christiana Figueres calls for an "energy revolution"

Connie Hedegaard stressed the importance of setting tough targets for reducing carbon emissions when she gave the 2010 Barbara Ward Lecture

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2010 Barbara Ward Lecture: Connie Hedegaard suggests tougher targets for CO2

Shack dwellers from the eThekwini municipality protesting in Durban (Photo: Slum/Shack Dwellers International)

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2008 Barbara Ward Lecture: Lindiwe Sisulu on managing relationships between the state and the urban poor

Mary Robinson called on the international community to focus on the human rights aspect of climate change when she gave the inaugural Barbara Ward lecture in London

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2006 Barbara Ward Lecture: Mary Robinson makes climate change a justice issue

Outstanding women in development

A series of blogs and interviews that reflect on the role, influence and impact of women in the field of sustainable development More in this collection

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IIED focus on outstanding women in sustainable development

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim speaking the World Economic Forum in 2017 (Photo: Jakob Polacsek/World Economic Forum, Creative Commons via Flickr)

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Q&A: getting indigenous women's voices heard on the SDGs

A tea picker from Cianten, within the boundaries of Mount Halimun Salak National Park in West Java, starts collecting tea leaves in a basket at 6am (Photo@ CIFOR, Creative Commons, via Flickr)

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Barbara Ward Lectures