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Questions and Answers
What percentage of medical school deans were women according to the text?
Which aspect of society can benefit from increased economic and political participation of women?
What was Rwanda the first country to achieve in terms of women's participation in parliament?
Which movement focuses on pledges from world leaders and CEOs to promote gender equality?
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What is the main goal of Women in Global Health (WGH) as mentioned in the text?
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What percentage of Ministers of Health were women in 2015?
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What was the percentage of chief delegates who were women at the 68th World Health Assembly?
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Among the top ten grossing health-related companies in the private sector, what is the gender distribution of leadership?
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What was the average representation of women as chief delegates at the World Health Assemblies from 2015 to 2016?
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In which sectors are women particularly underrepresented in decision-making positions according to the text?
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Study Notes
Gender Equality: A Call to Action
Gender equality is a fundamental human right and a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future. It is recognized as paramount to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has been incorporated into global health programming and delivery. However, despite women comprising over 75% of the global health workforce, gender disparities exist in leadership roles. Women are underrepresented in decision-making positions, particularly in sectors such as politics, business, and academia, which have significant influence on society and health.
Gender Disparities in Leadership
A review of leadership positions held by women in the top ten budgeted or independently ranked entities across seven sectors, including governments, intergovernmental agencies, foundations, private-sector, NGOs, global health initiatives, and academia, revealed massive disparities in gender parity. In 2015, only 27% of Ministers of Health were women, and approximately 23% of chief delegates of Member State delegations at the 68th World Health Assembly were women. This disparity was relatively unchanged in 2016 at the 69th World Health Assembly, where only 26% of the chief delegates were women, and moreover, the representation has averaged at 19%. The top ten grossing health-related companies in the private sector are led entirely by men. In academia, the seven of the deans at the top ten globally ranked schools of public health are men, and only 16% of medical school deans were women.
The Impact of Gender Inequality
Gender inequality has far-reaching consequences. It can lead to a more developed and healthier society, as women's increased economic and political participation has been shown to have a positive impact on development. However, despite the global health community's commitment to addressing the challenges facing women, significant gaps still exist, such as gaps in the burden of disease, education, access to health services, nutrition, and water/sanitation. To fully achieve these commitments, leaders who espouse these ideals are essential.
Strategies for Promoting Gender Equality
Various strategies have been proposed to address gender disparities in leadership. Some countries have implemented constitutional quotas to increase women's representation in parliament, such as Rwanda, which was the first country in the world to have more than 50% women in their parliament. Other strategies focus on pledges from world leaders and CEOs, such as the UN Women's HeForShe-movement, or the economic benefits to a corporation by having gender equality. The global health community has also committed to investing in girls and women, recognizing that the needs of women and girls are often overlooked or inaccessible.
Call to Action
More needs to be done to lead to greater change, and more organizations must come together to address the gender leadership disparity in global health. Women in Global Health (WGH) is a movement with the goal of creating partnerships with such groups to work together to address this issue. It is essential to recognize that while progress has been made, gender inequality remains a significant challenge, and consistent action and collaboration are necessary to achieve gender equality.
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Description
Explore the importance of gender equality in leadership roles within the global health sector and the impact of gender disparities on society and health outcomes. Learn about strategies for promoting gender equality and the call to action for organizations to address the leadership gap. Join the movement towards achieving gender parity in influential positions for a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future.
