Over the last two centuries, life expectancy has greatly increased. Between 1800 and 2018, global life expectancy jumped from 30 years to 73 years¹. However, women see more years of poor health and disability. They often face sex-specific challenges from age 15 to 50. This can affect their financial independence and family care. Pregnancy problems can also lead to more chronic illnesses in women.

Dealing with this issue could help the global economy. The world could see at least $1 trillion more each year by 2040. This money comes from women spending 25 percent more time in poor health than men.

This piece will explore why women’s health and empowerment matter. We’ll talk about the challenges women face globally. These include gaps in healthcare, the importance of education and jobs, and how mental health is tied to well-being. We’ll also look at reproductive rights, healthcare access, and the effects of violence against women. Lastly, we’ll discuss how involving men and changing stereotypes are crucial for real gender equality.

Key Takeaways

• Addressing women’s health issues can boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by 2040.
• Women spend more time in poor health and with disabilities compared to men.
• Empowering women through education and economic opportunities is crucial for gender equality.
• Improving access to reproductive healthcare and addressing gender-based violence are essential for women’s well-being.
• Engaging men and breaking gender norms are key to achieving sustainable change.

The Significance of Women’s Health and Empowerment

The Global Burden of Women’s Health Issues

Women’s health worldwide needs our immediate focus². Sadly, one woman dies each minute due to issues from pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths happen in developing nations, especially Africa and Asia².

In poor countries, there’s a 1 in 16 risk of dying while pregnant. This risk is much lower in the United States, less than 1 in 3,500². Each day, 1,400 women die from these causes, totaling over 500,000 deaths a year².

The problem isn’t just about deaths. For every woman who dies, many more are left with long-term suffering. The effects of violence against women are severe, equal to or sometimes worse than malaria or cancer².

Young mothers face a lot of danger, with risks much higher in some places like Bangladesh. Their children also have higher mortality rates².

It’s key to break down the reasons for these high numbers³. Researchers say better health info and care can help women have more control over their lives. This includes managing stress, making health decisions, and taking care of themselves³.

Helping women get better health care and information does more than just prevent deaths. It also boosts economies. For example, in Kenya, improving access to health info can reduce the number of girls dropping out of school because of early pregnancies⁴.

Contraceptive access is crucial for women’s economic power. With these, women like the one starting a successful business show what they can do⁴.

Healthy women are strong in the job market. They have better thinking skills and miss work less often⁴. Plus, simple checks like cervical cancer screenings save money by catching health issues early⁴.

But there’s a big money gap for women in Africa, making it hard to grow their businesses⁴. Programs like AFAWA aim to help close this gap by teaching banks how supporting women’s businesses makes good financial sense⁴.

Helping women isn’t just right; it’s smart. Tackling these health and economic issues head-on means everyone benefits³⁴².

Addressing the Gender Gap in Healthcare

Women face unique health challenges not seen in men, making gender equality in healthcare an important goal⁵. About 56% of women’s health burdens come from issues that affect them more or manifest differently. These are things like heart disease or autoimmune diseases⁵. However, around 43% from conditions affect everyone equally, like the common cold⁵.

To close this health gender gap, we need special strategies. It’s crucial to make sure health programs and policies help both men and women fairly. This approach is called mainstreaming the gender perspective and is a key step in achieving healthcare gender equality⁵.

Ensuring women are involved in research and decision-making is vital to end these healthcare gaps⁶. By making healthcare fair for all, we move towards gender equality and healthier societies⁶.

“Women’s empowerment is essential for achieving gender equality in health, and gender equity strategies are vital in this process.”⁵

USAID, over the past decades, has led in overcoming gender barriers for better health. It has helped improve many aspects of life, from decreasing baby deaths to advancing economies and stopping poverty.

This includes giving out family planning info and products since 1965 to support reproductive health choices⁷. And in 2012, USAID started a new gender policy to better promote female empowerment. This policy uses evidence to make efficient investments in gender equality⁷.

With a focus on the gender gap, healthcare can become more fair and inclusive⁵⁷⁶. It can better serve everyone, no matter their gender⁵⁷⁶.

Women’s Health Issues and Empowerment

The Role of Education and Economic Empowerment

For a long time, men mostly led and studied medicine. They often used male models, which made it hard to see health differences based on sex. This left many questions unanswered. We need to create research methods that truly understand how women’s bodies work. This is important so we can spot and treat health issues more effectively⁸.

Improving women’s health isn’t just about feeling better. It also impacts our world’s economy and quality of life. By making healthcare better for women, we don’t just help them. We also help future generations live healthier lives and enjoy better aging⁸.

2. At schools like UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, they teach about women’s health and how to make life better for them. These programs explain how things like culture and money can affect women’s health. They also look at how improving women’s health helps children, education, and making countries stronger9.

Helping women make more money and be independent can also change their health for the better. The UN works with companies in some countries to make sure women get the health services they need. Through these efforts, women learn more about health and can easily get the care they require⁸.

Making things better for women isn’t just the right choice morally. It’s also smart for the future. By giving women more opportunities to learn and earn, we make society as a whole more fair and rich¹⁰.

“Empowering women is not just the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do. It’s critical for driving economic growth and development.”

Mental Health and Well-being

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need to focus on women’s mental health¹¹. It worsened existing gaps, hitting women hardest with more violence and financial struggles. They also faced more pressure in caring roles¹². It’s vital to make women’s mental health a top priority during this difficult time.

Studies show that social and money problems greatly affect women’s mental health¹³. Not having enough, feeling alone, and facing systemic barriers often lead to more depression and anxiety among women¹³. The pandemic made these issues worse, adding more strain on women globally.

We need many strategies to tackle this crisis¹¹. Making mental health services more available is key, especially in areas that lack them¹². At the same time, giving women more education, financial freedom, and a say in decisions can boost their mental well-being¹¹.

The crisis also shows us the huge contribution of women, who make up many frontline workers¹². Better working conditions, pay, and support services are vital for these workers. These changes could hugely benefit women’s mental health.

Investing in women’s mental health and empowerment could lead to a better, fairer future¹³. This type of change not only helps women but also makes our communities stronger. It paves the way for a world that is fair and prosperous for all.

“Mental health is not just the absence of mental illness, but a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to their community.”

Reproductive Rights and Access to Healthcare

Reproductive rights and healthcare are key for women’s empowerment and gender balance¹⁴. The 1994 ICPD and the Beijing meeting in 1995 boosted interest in these issues¹⁴. Since then, we’ve come far in protecting women’s rights but face obstacles.

The Impact of Gender-Based Violence

Violence against women affects them physically and mentally¹⁵. In the US, 60% of deaths during pregnancy can be avoided¹⁵. Black and Native American women face greater risks than white women¹⁵. Tackling gender violence is vital for better reproductive healthcare access and supporting women’s choices.

In the 1980s, work began to offer women safe reproductive care, focusing on the health of mothers and children¹⁴. By the 1990s, efforts shifted to rights-based, women-centered care. This approach considered cultural and economic influences on reproductive health¹⁴. The 1994 ICPD encouraged services that put the individual first. It promoted a comprehensive view on reproductive health¹⁴.

Lately, there has been a lot of growth in safeguarding and expanding reproductive rights. For instance, California plans to put $20 million into increasing healthcare professionals¹⁶. They’ve also set aside over $200 million for laws supporting reproductive rights¹⁶. The Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755) aims to safeguard abortion services from unnecessary rules¹⁵.

Still, there’s more work to do for reproductive rights and access to healthcare. Since 2011, over 400 laws have been passed that limit abortions without medical reason¹⁵. We need ongoing efforts and policies to ensure all women can make choices about their health and get the care they need.

“The Ford Foundation funded SisterSong in the late 90s, which led initiatives focusing on reproductive justice among women of color.”¹⁴

Dealing with gender violence and making healthcare universally available are vital for women’s strength and equal rights worldwide.

Engaging Men and Breaking Gender Norms

To achieve gender equality, both men and women must work together. In the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a group called the Youth Alliance for Reproductive Health is making change happen¹⁷. They are teaching men and boys about positive manhood and respecting women’s rights¹⁷. This helps women and girls get better access to health services, such as family planning¹⁷.

Giving men and boys a positive role in ending harmful gender views is key to a fair world¹⁷. They’re taking part in efforts that help survivors of violence, create safe spaces, and offer community aid¹⁷. Talking openly with men and boys aims to shake up old beliefs and promote equality¹⁷.

Efforts to engage men in changing gender views are making a big impact on teens and young adults¹⁸. These actions focus on challenging stereotypes and their involvement in health decisions, cutting down on risks like HIV¹⁸. There’s also a strong push for more women on corporate boards, showing a growing support for gender fairness at work¹⁸.

Yet, some fight back against equal gender rights, showing it’s not always easy¹⁸. The beginnings of violence against women often come from deep-seated beliefs and early exposure to violence¹⁹. By getting fathers and men more involved at home, we can help women achieve more equality¹⁹.

Working with men and society to change traditional gender views is vital for real equality. It involves tackling deep-rooted beliefs to build a fairer world for everyone¹⁷¹⁸¹⁹.

Conclusion

Improving women’s health and empowerment is crucial. It affects health equality and boosts the economy²⁰. By dealing with health disparities, we could see big improvements worldwide for women²¹. The Lancet points out we need to change gender norms in healthcare. This is key for gender equality and global health²¹.

The COVID-19 crisis shows why we must act quickly on women’s health issues²⁰. If we close this gap, by 2040 it could be like 137 million more full-time workers. This could add at least $1 trillion each year to the economy²⁰. Including men and challenging old views can help everyone move forward together.

Now is the time to make women’s health and empowerment a top priority. With teamwork, smart spending, and a strong focus on fairness, we can change global health. This effort ensures a fair and better future for all.

Source Links

1. https://www.roarafrica.com/womens-empowerment-retreat-2025 – Women’s Empowerment Retreat 2025 | ROAR AFRICA
2. https://www.unfpa.org/press/womens-health-and-empowerment-key-better-world – Women’s Health and Empowerment: A Key to a Better World
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4441348/ – Women Empowerment through Health Information Seeking: A Qualitative Study
4. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/articles/womens-health-economic-power – The link between women’s health and women’s economic power
5. https://www.paho.org/en/topics/gender-equality-health – Gender Equality in Health
6. https://wellnessatnih.ors.od.nih.gov/news/Pages/Bridging-Health-Disparities-for-Women.aspx – Bridging Health Disparities for Women: Promoting Equality in Care
7. https://www.usaid.gov/global-health/health-systems-innovation/gender-and-health – Promoting Gender Equality through Health | Global Health | U.S. Agency for International Development
8. https://www.unfpa.org/womens-health-and-empowerment-workplace – Women’s Health and Empowerment in the Workplace
9. https://search.uconline.edu/catalog/view/58450?title=PBHLTH W108 Women’s Health, Gender And Empowerment – PBHLTH W108: Women’s Health, Gender And Empowerment at UC Berkeley
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500817/ – Women Empowerment and Its Relation with Health Seeking Behavior in Bangladesh
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5852985/ – Empowerment of women and mental health improvement with a Preventive approach
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2222163/ – Empowerment of women and mental health promotion: a qualitative study in rural Maharashtra, India
13. https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/mental.htm – WOMEN AND MENTAL HEALTH
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9930478/ – Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Justice: Redefining Challenges to Create Optimal Health for All Women
15. http://democraticwomenscaucus.house.gov/issues/access-health-care-and-reproductive-freedom – Access to Health Care and Reproductive Freedom
16. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/11/29/launches-reproductive-health-services-corps/ – California Launches Reproductive Health Services Corps to Expand and Improve Reproductive Care | Governor of California
17. https://knowledgesuccess.org/2024/02/29/empowering-change-breaking-down-gender-norms-through-positive-masculinity-in-the-drc/ – Empowering Change: Breaking Down Gender Norms through Positive Masculinity in the DRC
18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8066375/ – Gendered stereotypes and norms: A systematic review of interventions designed to shift attitudes and behaviour
19. https://arabstates.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/men-and-women-for-gender-equality – Engaging Men and Women for Gender Equality
20. https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/closing-the-womens-health-gap-a-1-trillion-dollar-opportunity-to-improve-lives-and-economies – Closing the women’s health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies
21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7194863/ – Empower Women in Healthcare to move Women’s Health forward