2024’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Invest in women—accelerate progress.”
International Women’s Day (IWD) is observed on March 8 of each year as a way to recommit to the goal of attaining gender equality. We are commanded to “invest in women” this year in order to hasten progress.
As one of my primary priorities is to improve the health of all women, I am delighted to support this message today.
Enough money must be allocated to general health in order to prioritize investing in the health and wellness of women and girls.
Our region is trailing behind on this score. Compared to 4% globally, countries in our region only allocate roughly 2.9% of GDP. This indicates that the out-of-pocket portion of current health spending is too high.
Families who are required to pay out of pocket frequently postpone or neglect urgently needed medical care. What effect does this have on women? Taking care of sick or elderly family members is, as we all know, a major responsibility for women and girls.
The majority of unpaid labor in households is already done by women and girls, who spend two to five times as much time on this type of work per day than men do. Because of this extreme inequality, women are unable to fully engage in political and economic life.
We are aware that progress toward gender equality and universal health care must be accelerated. Although there has been progress, inequality still exists.
For instance, we have improved in three different areas:
the percentage of pregnant women who receive treatment from qualified providers,
those content with contemporary family planning techniques, and
those who have professional assistance throughout their deliveries
However, not everyone is benefiting equally from these gains. There are disparities in these improvements according to the region, educational attainment, and household income of women.
The fact that present policies do not completely acknowledge a woman’s autonomy in making decisions about her sexual and reproductive health is another issue that needs reform.
Certain noncommunicable disease risk factors are also impacted by gender inequality.
In our area, women are more likely than men to be overweight or obese. This is frequently the result of reduced physical exercise. Gender disparities that affect mobility, access to recreational amenities, and perceptions of safety regarding crime and traffic are probably the source of this.
The absence of female health providers is one of the many obstacles that women in our region experience when trying to receive services. They are also limited by their limited ability to make decisions, their inability to access household resources and transportation, and the distances to medical facilities.
The prevalence of violence against women and girls is still unacceptable. This is a serious public health concern and a violation of their human rights. Over one-third of women in our region will, at some point in their lives, experience intimate partner abuse. To successfully stop and address this violence, as well as to enable the health sector to fulfill its mandate, we must invest more.
These gender disparities in health can be closed with the use of evidence-based, gender-responsive health policies and initiatives. The majority of the region’s nations have enacted similar national programs. Their ability to put ideas into practice, nevertheless, needs to be strengthened.
I am happy to inform you that one of my priority programs, with a particular emphasis on women and children, is presently being designed.
Prioritizing women’s health has long-term effects on public health, the development of young children, and even the advancement of society and the economy. The SDG framework acknowledges this as well.
Pregnant women’s health deserves special attention because it affects the health of the next generation even before they are born.
Future generations will benefit for the rest of their lives from mothers who are more knowledgeable. Better diets, active lifestyles, cleanliness and hygiene, and other healthy behaviors are instilled in children by them.
Not only do they impart their health-related knowledge, comprehension, and behaviors to their immediate family, but also to larger groups. When we increase a woman’s health literacy, she will impart that knowledge to other women in her vicinity.
On this International Women’s Day, I am pleased to reaffirm my commitment to helping all of the region’s nations invest more in the health and welfare of women and to move faster toward gender equality.
By:- WHO