The topic of women and cancer spans broad terrain, encompassing complex interactions of sex and gender with ethnicity, geography, socio-economic status, and other factors that can marginalize people of all genders. Furthermore, it includes how these intersectional factors can impact cancer risks and outcomes, as well as gender inequalities regarding the cancer healthcare workforce, globally. This presentation provided a rationale and overview of the work of The Lancet Commission on Women and Cancer, which is in progress.