DISCRIMINATIONDISCRIMINATIONAGAINST WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLSAGAINST WOMEN AND YOUNG GIRLS

IN THE HEALTH SECTORIN THE HEALTH SECTOR

Peggy Maguire

European Institute of Womens Health

“Health Strategy in Europe’s Regions”

24th of April 2008 Schwerte

About European Institute of Women’s Health:About European Institute of Women’s Health:

The EIWH is working to make the improvement of health and well-being of women across the lifespan a priority

for the European Union and Member States:

Health NGO launched in 1996Health NGO launched in 1996

Board of DirectorsBoard of Directors

European Advisory CouncilEuropean Advisory Council

Extensive multi-national, multi-disciplinary networkExtensive multi-national, multi-disciplinary network

Aim of PresentationAim of Presentation

Women & Society

Health issues that affect women and young girls

Examples of best practice

Recommendations for change

The original study was completed by the EIWH under contract to the European ParliamentContract Reference No. IP/C/FEMM/IC/2006/62

April 2007

Women and SocietyWomen and Society EU Demographic Trends-Everyday LivesEU Demographic Trends-Everyday Lives

Ageing Population

Increase in divorce rate

Average age at first birth rising

Number of children falling

Increase in female-headed households

More female graduates from tertiary education

More women in employment

Part-time work more widespread amongst women

Responsibility for care still falling on women

Health Issues for WomenHealth Issues for Women

Lifestyle (Nutrition, Smoking, Drinking, Drug Use, Exercise)

Eating Disorders (Anorexia, Bulimia, Obesity)

Mental Health (Anxiety, Depression, Stress)

Cancer

Cardiovascular Disease

Sexually Transmitted Infections

The Situation for Young GirlsThe Situation for Young Girls

Education, employment and family life have consequences

Girls mature earlier

Changes in self-esteem

Gender differences in behaviour

Increasing health inequality becomes apparent

Gender differences emerge in adolescence

Girls more likely to take up smoking-weight control

Among 13 year olds -obesity higher in girls

Healthy lifestyle choices important

Girls who drink any alcoholic drink Girls who drink any alcoholic drink weekly (%)weekly (%)

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10

20

30

40

50

60

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Bulg

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Engla

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Germ

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Gre

ece

Pola

nd

Portu

gal

Scotla

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Sw

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Wale

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11-year-old girls

13-year-old girls

15-year-old girls

Mental health statistics conceal differences in prevalence and disease manifestation at different stages in the life cycle between women and men

Causes of higher rates of depression and mental illness in women remain unknown.

Lack of information on the affects of drugs

This is especially clear in the following cases:anti-depressive pharmaceutics: lower doses of anti-depressive medicines

Mental HealthMental Health

CancerCancer

Increase in rates of lung cancer in both younger and older women in almost all EU countries.

Cancer of the cervix is the second most common female cancer in the EU. Early screening and detection can improve survival rates.

More gender specific health promotion messages need to be developed.

The EU has recognised the potential of population-based cancer screening programmes in its Council Recommendation adopted in 2003 (Official

Journal of the EU L327, 16.12.2003).

Differences between men and women: the Differences between men and women: the example of cardiovascular diseaseexample of cardiovascular disease

CVD accounts for :46% of deaths in women39% of deaths in menStroke kills more women than men

Of women who survive a first heart attack:

42% die within a year following a heart attack, compared to 24% of men46% will be disabled by heart failure within 6 years: two times the rate in men

More will have a second heart attack/stroke compared to male survivors

Cardiovascular diseaseCardiovascular disease

Improvements in research needed

Few women in clinical trials

Long-term studies on men

Pharmaceutical research carried out on men

When it is known that the disease in question is more frequent in women

Teenage Pregnancy: Best Practice in the UKTeenage Pregnancy: Best Practice in the UK

The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy has set targets to:The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy has set targets to:

Reduce by 50%under-18 conception rate by2010 Achieve a downward trend in the under-16 conception rate

Reduce the inequality in rates between those with the highest under 18 conception rate and the average rate by at least 25%

Increase to 60% the participation of teenage parents in education, training or employment to reduce their risk of long-term social exclusion.

Cancer: Best Practice in BelgiumCancer: Best Practice in Belgium

support breast awareness:

VIVA-SVV boezemvriendinnen:

Volunteers

A project in which female volunteers motivate other women, to support and encourage each other to take part in breast cancer screening.

The promotion of gender equity has been a long-

standing theme in the philosophy and operations of

the EU.

The mainstreaming of gender was formalised in the Treaty of Amsterdam with the pursuit of equality between women and men.

The Treaty also included a statement to the effect that human health should be protected in ‘all Community policies and activities’.

EU Gender Roadmap

Gender Equality in the EUGender Equality in the EU

Since 1994, there has been a commitment to ensure that a gender equality perspective must permeate all aspects of government policy.At national level, 3 main measures have been taken to integrate a gender perspective into every policy area:

All official statistics have been sex-disaggregated.

Training programmes in gender equality have been held for ministers, press secretaries, political advisers and senior civil servants.

All Government commissions of inquiry have been instructed to include a gender impact dimension in their investigations.

Gender Mainstreaming: Gender Mainstreaming: Best Practice in SwedenBest Practice in Sweden

RecommendationsRecommendations

Ensure that a gender sensitive approach in the training of healthcare professionals

Ensure that service planning takes account of the cultural and ideological differences that limit women’s access to, and utilisation of, services.

Encourage new Member States to make greater use of structural funds for investing in health, such as supporting implementation of the Council Recommendation on Cancer Screening

Increase in EU Public Health budget needed

Health PromotionHealth Promotion

Addressing health inequalities through health promotion, disease prevention and multi-sectoral actions should be at the heart of public health policy both at national and European Union levels.

Consistent, coherent, simple and clear messages need to be developed, and disseminated through multiple channels and in forms appropriate to local culture, age and gender

Target information and education campaigns about health and lifestyle choices at young girls of school age in all EU member states.

In June 2006 the Council adopted a Conclusion on

Women’s Health. It was noted that:

Reliable, compatible, comparable data on the status of women’s health is essential.Gender-specific data and reporting are essential for

public health policy making.

The 7th EU Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP 7) should incorporate research programmes that:

Examine possible sex differences and effects of gender in the development of research protocols

Build a knowledge base of gender-based indicators for use in all areas of EU policies affecting health.

ResearchResearch

Recommendation

Member States must consider modifying their national data collection practices in the interests of sharing information, future planning, and learning from others

Member States must sign up to standardised systems of data collection.

Without the proper data we cannot have effective & targeted public health programmes