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"Whether
male or female, you are of one another" (Koran, 3:195) |
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 The unit of
Gender in Health and Development works at including gender
considerations at all levels of health care and delivery. Gender
considerations mean recognizing both the biological and social
differences of males and females and the resulting differences in health
attainment and vulnerability.
Gender analysis is used
to identify where these differences in health influences exist so that
interventions and policies can be framed accordingly. Collecting
evidence of gender-based health differentials, developing gender
analysis tools, and influencing the formulation of gender sensitive programmes are all components of the
Gender in Health and Development programme. |
As a matter of policy and good public health practice, the
Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of WHO has integrated
gender considerations and supports the
countries of the Region to mainstream gender in all national
health policies and programmes.
The unit of Gender in Health and
Development (GHD) is also involved in encouraging the greater participation
of women in their communities and society. Greater involvement includes
women having a larger role in decision-making and better access to
information and learning opportunities. Many illnesses can be prevented or at least
ameliorated with awareness and the decision making capacity to address
health action. For example, women who are constrained in seeking health
care by needing the permission and supervision of their husbands or male
relatives face greater vulnerabilities in progression of illness. Second
order decision making delays health.
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 Review
of the integration of a human rights-based approach and
gender mainstreaming in health sector planning and
processes in Yemen
From 17-25 January 2009, the Ministry of Public Health
and Population (MOPHP), with support from the World
Health Organization (WHO), carried out a human rights
and gender equality review of the Third Five-Year Health
Development Plan and related mechanisms. The purpose of
the review was to analyse the integration of a human
rights-based approach and gender mainstreaming in health
sector planning and processes, and propose strategies
and practical actions for further integration.
Click here for the full report [pdf 400kb]
Women
and health: today's evidence tomorrow's agenda
Despite progress, societies continue
to fail women at key times of their lives
World Health Organization - 2009
ISBN: 9789241563857
 “Despite
considerable progress in the past decades,
societies continue to fail to meet the health
care needs of women at key moments of their
lives, particularly in their adolescent years
and in older age. These are the key findings of
the WHO report Women and health: today's
evidence tomorrow's agenda.
WHO calls for urgent action both within the
health sector and beyond to improve the health
and lives of girls and women around the world,
from birth to older age.
The report provides the latest and most
comprehensive evidence available to date on
women's specific needs and health challenges
over their entire life-course. The report
includes the latest global and regional figures
on the health and leading causes of death in
women from birth, through childhood, adolescence
and adulthood, to older age…..”
Available online PDF [108p.]
RIGHTS:
U.N. Approves
Long-Awaited New Women's Agency
14 September
2009
After more than three years of
political foot-dragging, the 192-member General Assembly
adopted a historic resolution Monday aimed at creating a
new U.N. agency for women.
The decision to create a separate powerful body to deal
exclusively with gender-related activities comes years -
or decades - after the United Nations created
specialised agencies to deal with specific issues,
including children, population, refugees, food,
environment, education, health and tourism, among many
others.
More
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Test your knowledge on gender and health with these 10 basic interactive
questions or via the
EMRO facebook.
 Capacity-building
is a strategic direction of the WHO
Gender Strategy, and a core gender
mainstreaming method that aims to
enable gender analysis in health and
facilitate the development and
implementation of gender sensitive
health policies and programs. WHO
ensures that expertise and capacity
to undertake gender analysis and
planning exists at all levels of the
Organization and supports Member
State to progressively reduce
gender-based health inequities. A
strategic direction of the WHO
Gender Strategy, capacity-building
in WHO aims to enhance both staff
and Member States’ capacity to put
gender skills into meaningful public
health practice.
Good luck and stay tuned for the
upcoming publications of training
materials on WHO gender
mainstreaming for health managers: A
practical approach.
International Women's Day
8 March 2011
Equal access to education, training and science and
technology: Pathway to decent work for women
International Women's Day (IWD) is 100 years old today.
This gives us an opportunity to celebrate the history of
women's rights and the struggle for gender equity in
health, as well as the advances achieved. It also
provides the opportunity to take a closer look at the
challenges still faced by women around the world. The
theme of International Women’s Day in 2011 is "Equal
access to education, training and science and
technology: Pathway to decent work for women". In the
health sphere, access to education, technology and
employment for women and girls prevents illness. It
also increases women and girls’ opportunities to protect
their health, because it reduces the likelihood of
childhood marriage, leads to healthier spacing between
births and results in more regular health checks.
Read more
UNAIDS takes action to empower women and
girls to protect themselves from HIV
UN to support civil society and
governments to address gender
inequalities and human rights violations
that continue to put women and girls at
risk of HIV infection
New
York/Geneva, 2 March 2010 –
UNAIDS, together with celebrated artist
and activist for women and HIV, Annie
Lennox, has launched an
Agenda
for Accelerated Country Action for
Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV
(2010–2014),
which has been developed to
address gender inequalities and human
rights violations that continue to put
women and girls at risk of HIV
infection.
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HIV is the leading cause of death
and disease among women of
reproductive age (15-49 years)
worldwide.
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In Southern Africa, HIV prevalence
among young women aged 15–24 years
is on average about three times
higher than among men of the same
age.
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Up to 70 percent of women worldwide
encounter violence. Experiencing
violence hampers women’s ability to
negotiate safe sex.
Press release
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Test your knowledge on gender and health
Take the quiz
International
Women's Day
8 March 2011
Equal access to education, training and science and
technology: Pathway to decent work for women
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Gender is a social construct which defines and describes
the socially perceived roles, responsibilities, rights,
opportunities, and interactions for females and males
for the betterment and maintenance of society, which are
influenced by familial, cultural, political, economic
and spiritual determinants.
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EMRO gender publications |
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Cross-cutting
gender issues in women’s health in the Eastern
Mediterranean Region
English -
French
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Gender
issues in health in the sociocultural context of the
Eastern Mediterranean Region: Report of a regional
consultation
Cairo, Egypt, 19-21 December 2004
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Gender
and health in the
Eastern Mediterranean Region
Conceptual and operational advocacy
2006
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