Exploring the path to gender justice in global health

A new report on explaining the gender and health connection and how it can be better understood to reach equity and social justice goals will be launched at the University of Adelaide’s Union House on Friday 20 June.

The University’s Stretton Health Equity and the Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender will host the Australian launch of The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health’s Achieving Gender Justice for Global Health Equity report.

The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health is a multi-disciplinary group of experts who work at the intersection of gender and health. The University of Adelaide Professor Fran Baum, Program Director of Stretton Health Equity, is a member of the group.

“The rollback in gender rights including access to sexual and reproductive health services and challenges to global health organisations around the world threatens to reverse decades of progress on global health,” said Professor Baum.

“This divisive landscape – and its ongoing impact on funding and action – are having stark impacts on health outcomes for people across the globe

“Together, the Commission has produced new research, evidence and recommendations - to provide a practical roadmap to navigate and inform action to improve health and wellbeing for everyone.

“Applying a gender-justice lens to health policies, programmes, and practices would improve health and wellbeing and decrease health inequities for all people.

“When gender-responsive interventions are advanced, evidence across a wide range of health areas shows that improvements in population-level health outcomes result.”

Professor Sarah Hawkes, co-Chair of the Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health, and Head of Global Population Health at Monash University, Malaysia will provide a keynote address while Professor Emerita Raewyn Connell Commissioner on Lancet Commission and University of Sydney will speak about the importance of the report to Australia and globally.

Professor Baum will then lead a discussion on the report with Professor Hawkes, Professor Sharon Friel, ARC Laureate Fellow and Professor of Health Equity, Australian National University and University of Adelaide academics Dr Jared Dmello, Associate Professor Alexandra Peralta and Professor Megan Warin.

“Achieving gender justice in global health can—and should—be everyone's business,” said Professor Baum.

“Realisation of gender justice is not a zero-sum game: it is a task that, if carried through consistently, will result in gains in health and wellbeing for all people in our complex world.”

The launch will be held at Level 5, Union House, and will begin at 10:30am. Free tickets can be secured online.