16 February 2026
The 2026 APEC Healthy Women,
Healthy Economies Research Prize (HWHE)
is now open, calling for innovative, evidence-based research
that strengthens understanding of how women’s health
underpins economic participation across the
Asia-Pacific.
The annual prize encourages the
generation of robust women’s health data and research to
inform policy and business decisions across APEC member
economies.
“Women’s full engagement is a
cornerstone of inclusive and sustainable economic
development,” said Anita Peña Saavedra, Chair of the APEC
Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy.
“By
prioritizing women’s health and addressing the structural
challenges that limit their opportunities, we build stronger
foundations for prosperity across families, communities, and
markets. Initiatives such as APEC Healthy Women, Healthy
Economies play a vital role in advancing equality while
supporting long-term growth and resilience,” she
added.
Applications for the 2026 prize are open to
individuals or teams from APEC member economies. Applicants
do not need to come from academia, provided the research is
evidence-based and addresses at least one pillar of the
Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Policy Toolkit: workplace
health and safety, health awareness and access, sexual and
reproductive health, gender-based violence, or work–life
balance.
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The prize winner will receive USD 20,000 and
be recognized at a ceremony held on the margins of the Women
and the Economy Forum. Two runners-up will each receive USD
5,000.
Awarded research spans priority areas such as
non-communicable diseases, family- and workplace-policy
reforms and caregiving and long-term care, highlighting how
health and care responsibilities shape women’s economic
outcomes.
In 2025, the
research prize was awarded to Professor Jun Zhu of the
National Maternal and Child Health Surveillance Office under
China’s National Health Commission.
Her project
integrated population and hospital-based data to guide
maternal health policy, covering more than 140 million
people and contributing to a reduction in China’s maternal
mortality rate from 31.9 to 15.1 deaths per 100,000 live
births between 2009 and 2023.
“Advancing women’s
health is fundamental to building stronger societies and
more resilient economies,” said Terri Stewart, Senior Vice
President and Head of Global Healthcare Government and
Public Affairs at Merck Healthcare.
“Health and life
science companies have a critical role to play in
accelerating this progress. Through partnership with
governments and civil society, we can develop innovative,
sustainable solutions that respond to women’s health needs
across the life course and deliver meaningful, long-term
impact,” she added.
The HWHE Research Prize was
initiated during Chile’s APEC host year in 2019. Since
then, it has been supported by Merck as prize sponsor,
recognizing research that equips policymakers and business
leaders to enable women to join, rise and thrive in the
workforce.
Since its launch, the prize has recognized
seven winners from four APEC economies including China; Hong
Kong, China; Chinese Taipei; and the Philippines, as well as
runners-up from eleven economies, including Australia;
Canada; Chile; Singapore; the United States; and Viet
Nam.
Interested candidates can access this
link. Applications close on Friday, 6 March
2026. To learn more, please visit the
APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies website or contact
HWHE@accesspartnership.com.
