The Department of Gender, Women and Health (GWH)

GWH brings attention to the ways in which biological and social differences between women and men affect health and the steps needed to achieve health equity.

The main focus of GWH is to promote the inclusion of gender perspectives in the work of the WHO by collaborating with other departments and, regional and country offices. It aims to increase knowledge of gender issues by conducting research, training and advocacy on how socio-cultural factors and discrimination affect health.

While gender affects the health of both men and women, GWH places emphasis on the health consequences of discrimination against women that exist in nearly every culture. Powerful barriers including poverty, unequal power relationships between men and women, and lack of education prevent millions of women worldwide from having access to health care and from attaining — and maintaining — the best possible health.

MAIN AREAS OF WORK

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND GENDER ASPECTS OF HIV/AIDS Violence against Women (VAW) and HIV/AIDS are key, yet insufficiently addressed areas where gender-based discrimination affects women's health. Work relating to this theme includes: a multi-country study on women's health and violence; the Sexual Violence Research Initiative; the development of guidelines for gender sensitive HIV/AIDS programmes; and an initiative to improve the health of women in emergency settings.

INTEGRATING GENDER INTO HEALTH POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES It is essential to translate knowledge into concrete actions to correct health inequities faced by men and women. Tools currently being developed include: technical support materials and curricula, resource kits, on-line training modules, and documenting "best practices". Emerging areas of work include the role of men and boys on gender and health equity and the use of gender-sensitive indicators and sex-disaggregated data.

MAIN STRATEGIES

• Increase knowledge and evidence on how sex differences and gender inequalities impact upon specific health problems, health services and successful responses;

• Develop tools to promote and expand health sector policies, interventions and programmes at the regional and country level that systematically address gender concerns, including gender-based violence;

• Develop skills and build capacity within and outside of WHO in order to promote policies and programmes that are more responsive to barriers affecting women's and men's ability to lead healthy lives and receive and benefit from health care services;

• Improve public understanding of gender issues by developing advocacy materials and activities;

• Create awareness and provide support to WHO Member States to design and promote gender-sensitive health policies and strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions