Columbia Global Centers | Turkey and Studio-X Istanbul are pleased to invite you to a special panel discussion, the first of a series of public events designed to elaborate on the issues and themes of "The Good Cause: Architectures of Peace" and the "Vocabulary of Hospitality" exhibition. International Women’s Day, first celebrated in 1911, recognizes the achievements of women while calling for gender equality. With this in mind, we invite you to explore the intersections between gender rights, public health and migration together with distinguished scholars from the Mailman School of Public Health and Istanbul University. Women and children comprise the vast majority of the Syrian refugee population in Turkey. What do we know about the circumstances women refugees face, and what approaches, services and policies should be developed to address their needs, grounded in human rights and gender equality? At the same time, we will hear about recent trends in the explosive growth of non-communicable chronic diseases globally and in the region. How should health services, for vulnerable and non-vulnerable populations alike, adapt to confront these new threats? How are these developments compelling us to rethink humanitarian emergencies and responses, particularly in our region? Istanbul University scholars Zeynep Kıvılcım and Nurcan Özgür Baklacıoğlu will present findings from fieldwork recently conducted in Istanbul with Syrian women and LGBTI refugees as well as an assessment of the legal framework in Turkey, which sets the basis for the protection of refugees and their ability to fully access their rights. Lynn P. Freedman, Wafaa El-Sadr, and Miriam Rabkin are leading scholars of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, who will offer insights on questions of public health and the right to health for refugee populations, with a focus on women.