What does the future look like for the gender health gap?
In order to "heal the gap", we must address the following:
1. Bodily autonomy — enabling women and girls to make informed sexual, reproductive, and healthcare decisions—a human right for all.
2. Promoting equitable gender norms, including those that make violence against women and girls, including harmful practices such as early/forced marriage and female genital mutilation, unacceptable.
3. Financing universal health coverage and social protection to cover health costs, child care, paid parental, sick and family care leave and old age pension. Valuing paid employment and unpaid care work equally and enabling men to share care work with women.
4. Addressing male bias in the development of vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics. Strengthening health systems to include safe, decent working conditions for the majority female health workforce including eliminating sexual harassment and violence.
5. Investing in feminist movements, which have been instrumental in fostering progressive changes towards gender equality.
6. Ensuring women’s and feminist leadership in governments, health and development agencies, and other global organizations.