Equal rights and opportunities mean better health for women and girls: how is WHO contributing?
While it is vital, it is not enough to simply have laws and policies that guarantee equal rights and opportunities. Implementing and upholding those laws and policies through various mechanisms is also urgently needed. Respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights is a fundamental way to secure the attainment of equal rights and opportunities for women and girls, leading to increased health and well-being for themselves and those around them.
WHO recognizes that in order to achieve equal rights and opportunities for women and girls to achieve and attain optimal health status, a multi-dimensional response is needed which addresses the causes of gender inequality and eliminates gender-based health inequities. WHO has long been working towards realizing the right to health, as well as promoting the progressive realization of human rights, through a variety of efforts and programmes.
Some examples are provided below (follow the links for details).
Formal equality, or what can be understood as equality of opportunity, ensures women have the same chances as men to access social, economic and political resources. This is often what is recognized before the law, but is insufficient to realize equal opportunities.
Substantive equality, or what can be understood as equality of outcomes, addresses different needs and life conditions that may impede or facilitate enjoyment of mechanisms of formal equality.
Both types of equality are needed to realize the right to health for women and girls.
Sections of WHO's response
- Section 1: Integrating gender analysis and actions into the work of WHO
- Section 2: Strengthening the capacity of WHO to integrate a human rights-based approach
- Section 3: Supporting Member States to achieve MDGs 4 and 5
- Section 4: Promoting responsive public health policy options for the health of women and girls
- Section 5: Ensuring women and girls have equal access to life-saving health services
- Section 6: Intimate partner violence and sexual violence
- Section 7: Addressing gender inequalities in the health sector response to HIV
- Section 8: Promoting vaccines intended to protect the right to health for women and girls
- Section 9: Mental health
- Section 10: Primary health care and strengthening of health systems