Invest in Women's Health and Economic Security

Invest in Women's Health and Economic Security

"We need to start with some basic truths (including) boys remain favoured in some Pacific societies," said Dr. Wame Baravilala, the Reproductive Health Adviser of the UNFPA Pacific Sub regional office.

He was referring to the preference given to boys including access to nutrition, education, access to health and that decision making as well as access to resources remain in the hands of male, and yet, women continue to also shoulder the burden of responsibility of reproductive health management.

He was addressing Pacific Women Ministers as they reviewed the recommendations and outcomes of the 11th Triennial Conference on Pacific Women.

While there is increasing life expectancy including other gains in women’s health services such as screening and treatment for NCDs and cancers, Baravilala highlighted that the main women's health concerns include the highest prevalence of obesity amongst women and related diseases (in the world) and urgent action is required to tackle these issues but behavioural change must start at childhood to overcome obesity, diabetes, high rates of smoking.

Other concerns including the high rate of cervical cancer, and the striking increase in breast cancer, but there continues to be poorly developed cancer awareness amongst Pacific women, even though HPV vaccination is offering hope, very few Pacific Island Countries have fully functioning cancer detection programmes and where they do exists they are poorly funded and very rudimentary.

To date three national representative studies provide the data and evidence of high levels of (severe) VAW –including sexual violence. This requires a urgent improvement in the integration of violence against women as a health priority and integrated into health professionals training as he welcomed the creation of a Gender Based Violence position within the Papua New Guinea Department of Health particularly to address the low awareness of the health consequences of VAW. Ministers were also reminded that the high rates of women victims of violence and also have low status in decision making positions is not good for Pacific economies.

Informed women are the consumers of tomorrow, the future decision makers in the private and public spheres and – Pacific women will need significant business education if they are to success in the formal and private sector: "We need to educate women in business to ensure success," said Carolyn Blacklock of the International Finance Corporation, as she stressed that advancing women's human rights and gender equality commitments have applicability in the private sector, and the Pacific needs a more women in parliaments, "We need to reduce levels of violence against women and girls and we need more girls in schools," and she stressed the need to continue the efforts to enhance the availability of the gender disaggregated data.

Baravilala called for a bold, new approach, in order to effectively address the afore-mentioned issues. A Regional Strategy for Women's Health needs to be developed by gender and health partners in collaboration with stakeholders, he said, which should be on the agenda at the next Pacific Ministers of Health Meeting, to be followed by endorsement by the Forum Leaders (or MSG).

"This strategy should be within the framework of women's rights," he stressed and all Pacific Island Countries should allocate a percentage of national health budgets for women's health. Such a strategy he said could be reviewed after 5 years by Pacific women's organizations and health ministries.

ENDS

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