Session virtual link: Digital Session, Meeting ID: 934 1982 8877
The Session objectives
- To increase awareness on gender responsive health systems which pay women equally for their work, have gender equal leadership and are therefore equipped to deliver a “triple dividend” of better health, gender equality, and economic growth.
- To address the role that all healthcare stakeholders must play in closing gender pay gaps and achieving 50% women in health leadership, and the importance of civil society advocacy for gender equality in attaining the SDGs.
- To encourage LMIC governments and health institutions to commit to closing the gender gap in payment in the health workforce, to addressing the scourge of unpaid work, and to achieving 50% women in health leadership roles by 2030.
- To mobilize civil society in LMICs to advocate for gender equality in the health workforce as part of the commitment to Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals
Session abstract
Health and social care is one of the largest and fastest-growing employment sectors for women globally. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of global health security and the contribution made by health and care workers, the vast majority of whom are women. The pandemic has also exposed deep inequalities – including gender inequality – that undermine our health systems and global health security. One of these is women’s unpaid and underpaid work in the sector mostly in low-and middle-income countries working in health systems in essential community roles but either unpaid or working for low task-based stipends. In addition, there is a significant pay gap between men and women in the sector.
We have less than a decade left to achieve the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the COVID 19 pandemic has further derailed progress, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). By increasing investment in the healthcare workforce, governments can reap a “triple dividend” by accelerating achievement of at least three of the goals – health (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5), and economic growth (SDG 8).
To drive commitment for action on gender equity in the health and care workforce alongside the UN Women Generation Equality Campaign and to mark the 25thanniversary of the Beijing Declaration, the Government of France, the World Health Organization and Women in Global Health launched the Gender Equal Health and Care Workforce Initiative (GEHCWI) on February 25th, 2021. The Initiative aims to drive action in the health and care sectors in four areas:
- Increasing in the proportion of women health workers in leadership roles
- Recognizing the value of unpaid health care workers and the importance of equal pay in the health and social sectors
- Protecting women health workers from harassment and violence in the workplace
- Ensuring safe and decent working conditions for all health workers, everywhere
The session will cover many of the issues raised by WHO and Women in Global Health in the report, “Delivered by Women, Led by Men: A Gender and Equity Analysis of the Global Health Workforce,” and the Gender Equal Health and Care Workforce Initiative. This is also an opportunity to highlight the need to challenge power and privilege to achieve gender equity in health ahead of the Generation Equality Forum happening between 30th June and 2nd July 2021.
Event Timeslots (1)
ROOM 3 ROYAL PALM
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PD 02