Gender Mainstreaming in Sexual and Reproductive Health

Gender mainstreaming is both a strategy for planning and a tool for advocacy to reduce harmful effects of the social determinants of health, for men and women. However the health professionals are not adequately prepared to address gender specific health needs of women and men in their work. Special attention must be paid to particular groups who experience greater mortality and morbidity related to sexual and reproductive conditions than those who are in a better situation.

Due to a significant societal disadvantage, girls and women have limited access to health care. As an evidence of the burden of disease related to gender inequality, it is estimated that of all adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, 61% are women. Maternal mortality is also higher in developing countries than in the industrialized world. Sexual and gender-based violence affect mostly women.

It is therefore critical that public health actors must be able to identify the factors that put women and men at risk, and address these factors through effective interventions. The SRH Programme and the Gender and Women's Health Programme will support countries to seek structural changes focused on the needs of people in view to ensure universal access to appropriate quality sexual and reproductive health care.