Download - Women's Health and Empowerment Overview
Women’s Health and Empowerment Center of Expertise
Vision: We envision a world in which all women and girls are empowered and healthy. Mission: Our mission is to promote justice, equity and scientific advances to reduce gender and health disparities globally.
COE Vision of Empowerment
Empowerment is the ABILITY to
ACT on choices, involvingthree related processes:1. Address causes of
disempowerment;
2. Improve women’s access to and control over current and future resources; and
3. Use improved access to resources & decision-making to achieve individual and collective well-being and health.
Women’s Health & Empowerment Background
Advances in women’s health globally are impeded by: Female poverty Limited access to education and economic opportunities Gender bias and discrimination Unjust laws Insufficient state accountability
These forces intersect to restrict access to vital women’s health services and information women need to improve their lives.
Our focus is on an area of great global disparity-- sexual and reproductive health and rights--which has implications for women’s health throughout their lives.
By emphasizing women’s rights and empowerment, we are uniquely poised to engender the social changes and sustainability that will yield long-term improvements in health and well-being.
Women’s Health and Empowerment Goals
Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights
Safe Motherhood
Reducing violence against women
Family planning and reproductive health technologies
HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment
Reduction of environmental threats to women
Women’s Health and Empowerment Organization
Women’s Health and Empowerment Contribution to the Field
Key Components
• Focus on the interplay and interconnectedness of women’s empowerment and health
• Conduct research on women’s empowerment and health; connect research with education and training of new leaders.
Inter-Disciplinary Approach
Health Sciences Nursing & Midwifery Medicine Public Health
Empowerment Sciences Anthropology Law Sociology Arts & Culture Psychology
Women’s Health and Empowerment Research Agenda
Test new policies, interventions and technologies• What policies and programs can improve women’s health
through empowerment, and vice versa?
Study natural experiments and identify effective cross-cutting interventions• Aim to increase understanding and data available on the
relationship between women’s health and empowerment
Examine barriers and test alternative approaches to overcome them• Proven technologies exist - what impedes the delivery and/or
use?
Research Example: Shamba Maisha
Women’s Health and Empowerment Planned Research Activities
Develop signature research projects
Facilitate research workshops that specifically address intersection of women’s health and empowerment• Conduct workshops
internationally to ensure partnership and capacity strengthening.
Create mentoring opportunitiesbetween junior and establishedresearchers in Women’s Health and Empowerment
Women’s Health and Empowerment Planned Research Activities (cont’d)
Identify potential Requests for Proposals and other collaborative opportunities in women’s health and empowerment
Set up research seed grant program in conjunction with a foundation or donor
Create a database of current Women’s Health and Empowerment research (within UC system and by partners)
Develop a compendium of methodologies and tools, particularly those related to measurement of empowerment
Women’s Health and Empowerment Planned Education Activities
Contribution to UCSF Masters in Global Health Sciences• Fall 2010 Seminar: Interdisciplinary
introduction to Safe Motherhood
• Winter 2011 Seminars: Interdisciplinary, linked by common area/approach. Topics to be determined.
• Facilitate WH&E focused field placements for graduate students
Long term vision - Joint Degree Program
• One degree granted by two UC campuses
• Under discussion
Women’s Health and Empowerment Planned Education Activities (cont’d)
Build on current/planned UC courses• Catalogue current UC courses in health and/or empowerment
Strengthen Interdisciplinary Teaching Capacity• Set up workshops to train faculty in interdisciplinary teaching
methods
Plan workshops for faculty• Plan November 2010 retreat to develop core curriculum,
standardize definitions and review methodologies
Establish Student Advisory Committee
Women’s Health and EmpowermentKnowledge Dissemination Activities
Establish COE external advisory board representing multiple constituencies
Enhance COE visibility and outreach Conceptualize, draft, and edit book (UC Press)
– COE’s first multidisciplinary publication
Evaluate Program
– Establish measures for internal COE evaluation
– Provide technical assistance for empowerment program evaluation in global settings
Women’s Health and Empowerment Partners
Academic• Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria• Aga Khan University School of Nursing• Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania• University of Zambia • University of Zimbabwe• Kenya Medical Research Institute
Multi-national• WHO• UNFPA
Women’s Health and Empowerment Partners (cont’d)
Governmental• National Center for HIV/AIDS/STDs and Dermatology in Cambodia• Vietnamese Ministry of Health• Institute for Public Health in Mexico• Eritrea Women’s Fistula Program• Public Health Research Institute, Mysore, India
Non-governmental• CARE Sonke Gender Justice
• PATH Just Detention International• Marie Stopes International Global Fund for Women• California Family PACT Program ICRW• Population Council EngenderHealth• Pathfinder International• IPAS • Ibis Reproductive Health• Venture Strategies for Health and Development
Women’s Health and Empowerment Existing Regional Focus
AFRICA• Kenya• Tanzania• South Africa• Zimbabwe• Zambia
ASIA & THE PACIFIC• Vietnam• Cambodia• India
LATIN AMERICA• Mexico
“When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are
given a better start in life”
“Gender equality is more than a goal itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting
sustainable development and building good governance.”
- Kofi Annan