Gender & Health Hub

More reflections from Day 2 of the 77th  Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in New Delhi:   1. Important interventions and calls for adolescent-responsive health systems, including access to contraceptives, safe abortion, and comprehensive sexual education; however, there is a long way to go to meaningfully engage youth in shaping and developing these systems. Interesting initiatives and steps in the region include, the Presidential Youth Advisory Board inaugurated recently in the Maldives and Bhutan's Youth Development Fund.    2. In the responses to the Annual Report on monitoring progress on UHC and health-related SDGs, community health workers (and the health workforce) were repeatedly called on as an important mechanism to strengthen responses to UHC. However, recognition and plans to address gender biases and discrimination within the community health workforce remained absent.    3. lastly, I learnt that in Bhutan, comprehensive sexuality education has been a part of the school curricula since 2008, and it is the first country in the region to launch a comprehensive national strategic plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. At #RC77 it was celebrated for reaching the interim targets towards the elimination of cervical cancer.    #RC77 #WHOSEARO

It has been a real pleasure representing United Nations University - IIGH at the 77th  Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in New Delhi, which kicked off yesterday.   Some of my Day 1 highlights were:   1. Achievements and challenges detailed by the 11 Member States in the region including:   - Elimination of measles and rubella in Bhutan, DPR Korea, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste – a testament to why we need to support and invest in community-based health workers, the majority of which are women.   - Integrating community-based mental health in primary health care in Bangladesh, India, and Maldives.   - The Thai 5th National Road Safety Master Plan to tackle road traffic accidents and injuries, a major contributor to death and injury among men.   2. The Regional Director speaking to the five components of the recently endorsed Regional Roadmap, which includes reaffirming investments in women, girls, adolescents and vulnerable populations.   3. The WHO Director-General reiterating the need to urgently address catastrophic health spending, a critical message, especially as it disproportionately impacts women, girls and marginalized groups.    To find out more: https://shorturl.at/PJyGS #RC77 #WHOSEARO

Only 2 days left!

📢 Join the upcoming African Community of Practice on Gender and Health webinar!     The climate crisis is exacerbating inequalities across Africa and around the globe, and health systems are not exempted from its impacts.    This webinar will bring together a multidisciplinary panel to explore what a gender-just climate transition looks like and means for health systems in Africa.    In this session, we will:  ✅ Examine the concept of a 'just transition' and what it means for health systems strengthening in the context of climate change to advance gender equality. ✅ Explore how health systems in Africa can integrate gender-just principles amid the climate crisis.  ✅ Identify ways to balance immediate crisis recovery with long-term investments in gender-just transitions within health systems in Africa.    Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about how a gender-just transition can transform health systems resilience in the face of climate change.    👉 Register now: https://go.unu.edu/ZWnFr     #UNU #GlobalHealth #GenderEquality #GenderJustTransition #ClimateCrisis #HealthSystems #Africa United Nations University - IIGH | United Nations University | University of the Western Cape | PATH | Pandemic Action Network

UNU-IIGH's Johanna Riha, Research Lead, Gender Equality and Intersectionality, will be attending the 77th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in New Delhi from 7–9 October 2024.   Stay tuned for more!

𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬: 𝐒𝐲𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲-𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 Sylvia Musalagani, Safety Policy Lead for Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey at Meta, emphasized the company's commitment to online safety. Meta, the tech conglomerate behind Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp, is taking deliberate steps to enhance access to digital platforms while ensuring the protection of vulnerable groups and communities. To achieve this, Meta is building an inclusive network of global experts who collaborate closely with users, considering their lived experiences to better understand and address online safety issues, especially those affecting women, girls, and gender minorities. Thank you, Sylvia, for sharing more about Meta’s work. Listen to the full webinar here https://go.unu.edu/kjm6z #GenderEquality #EndTFGBV #SafeOnlineSpaces #DigitalInclusion

𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬: 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲-𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬   In our recent African Community of Practice on Gender and Health webinar, Sheena Magenya (Sheena M.) shed light on the rapid dissemination of harmful content on social media platforms, which perpetuates gender-based violence.     She stressed that the focus on profit maximization and increasing access by these platforms often overshadows the need to protect users, particularly women and marginalized communities, from online intimidation, harassment, and the spread of misinformation.    Thank you, Sheena, for your contributions during the discussion! Listen to more of Sheena’s points and the discussion with other panelists via the recording here 👉 https://go.unu.edu/kjm6z    #GenderEquality #EndTFGBV #SafeOnlineSpaces #DigitalInclusion

Join Our Global Health think tank!   🚨 UNU-IIGH is hiring four Policy Research Fellows to lead projects in gendered health systems, digital health, climate justice, & global health power and accountability!     If you’re passionate about researching and exploring the dynamics of power, feminism, intersectionality, and decoloniality in the context of global health, we want to hear from you!    The successful candidates will:  ● Conduct policy research   ● Translate research into policy and practice   ● Manage external partnerships.   ● Support capacity-building    ● Assist with fundraising. 📅 Apply by 10 October: https://go.unu.edu/fv1yS  #UNU #GlobalHealth #PolicyResearch #Careers

𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬: 𝐍𝐲𝐱 𝐌𝐜𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲-𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬    Dr Nyx McLean stressed how technology can reinforce the same power dynamics as we find in society, therefore prioritizing safeguarding of women, girls and gender-diverse people in technological spaces is critical and more urgent than ever.     They pointed out the challenges in estimating the true prevalence of online violence due to underreporting and the diverse ways in which TFGBV manifests, such as sexual harassment.    They also drew attention to the health impacts of TFGBV, which can harm the mental and physical well-being of those affected.    📺  Listen to the whole African Community of Practice on Gender and Health webinar with more of their insights here👉: https://go.unu.edu/kjm6z    #GenderEquality #EndTFGBV #SafeOnlineSpaces #DigitalInclusion Eduvos | United Nations University - IIGH

🚨 We’re hiring 4 Policy Research Fellows at UNU-IIGH to lead projects in gendered health systems, digital health, climate justice, and global health power and accountability! 🚀 If you’re interested in equity, feminism, and decoloniality in global health—this is for you! Deadline: 10 October. Apply now! 🔗 https://go.unu.edu/fv1yS #UNU #GlobalHealth #PolicyResearch #Careers