Launch of the gender equal health & care workforce initiatives

25 February 2021 14:00 – 16:00 CET
Virtual

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of global health security and the contribution made by health and care workers, the vast majority of whom are women. The pandemic has also exposed deep inequalities – including gender inequality – that undermine our health systems and global health security.  The pandemic struck at a time where the world was already grappling with a significant shortage of health and care workers. In 2016 it was estimated that an additional 18 million are needed to achieve Universal Health Coverage. COVID-19 is creating an additional burden of health worker deaths, infection, exhaustion, mental trauma, long-COVID and attrition. 

Government of France, the World Health Organization and Women in Global Health are partnering in 2021, the International Year of Health and Care Workers, on the Gender Equal Health and Care Workforce initiative. This initiative aims to increase visibility, advocacy, dialogue, technical output and commitment to action on improving gender equity in the health and care workforce alongside the UN Women Generation Equality Campaign to accelerate gender equality actions and mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

This initiative aims to drive action in the health and care sectors in four key areas:

  1. Increasing in the proportion of women health workers in leadership roles
  2. Recognizing the value of unpaid health care work and importance of equal pay in the health and social sectors
  3. Protecting women health workers from harassment and violence in the workplace
  4. Ensuring safe and decent working conditions for all health workers, everywhere

Participation in the initiative by countries or organizations should be in the form of action to invest in and protect women in the health and social care sector by addressing one or several of the pillars mentioned above. Engagement, pledges and commitments can take the shape of any action deemed necessary by the participating country or organization that will result in the reduction of gender inequalities in the health and care workforce.

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