By Alison Malmqvist, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health, PSI Global
Health systems are complex. But her journey to care shouldn’t be.
When health systems #StartWithHer – her voice, her insights – we can remove the barriers that limit her access to quality and affordable care.
To meet the diversity of her needs and to get us all closer to Universal Health Coverage, we must address the entire ecosystem that shapes her world.
That’s why at the Women Deliver 2023 Conference, we’re focusing on the following:
- Gender and the climate crisis – We are hearing from women and girls that their communities are changing along with the climate. Our climate and gender goals can and should intersect. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programming cannot fail to be climate responsive and climate programming must address gender equity for the resilience of individuals and their communities. Young women who are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change need access to comprehensive SRHR information and services so they can plan their futures and secure stability and financial security in their changing environment. We aim to use SRHR programming as a bridge to more holistic support, serving the whole person rather than providing care in silos, in order to build resiliency to climate shocks.
- Gender in the workplace – We recognize that most health providers are women, who, outside of work, are individuals, patients, mothers, spouses, and partners. As we focus on person-centered care, how can we support providers who experience gender inequities across their personal and work lives? At Women Deliver we will explore how providers and patients can work together to find common ground as allies, and leverage these relationships to identify strategies to reach a more gender-equal experience.
- Menstrual health and dignity – Societal structures and inequalities deeply shape experiences of menstruation, resulting in stigma, discrimination, and limited access to care. Every person who menstruates should have the information, products, and services needed to feel cared for and confident during their period, and beyond. We want to see a world where every menstruator can maintain their dignity throughout their cycle because they have the resources needed to take control of their health, lives, and futures. This requires focusing our work at the intersection of menstrual health, justice, and SRHR to build consumer powered care with and for menstruators.
- Explore connections – PSI’s work is only possible because of our strong partnerships with donors, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, health systems, and local governments. These connections help to power our unique approaches to health systems strengthening and SRHR programming and complement our offering with the skills and experiences that fall outside of PSI’s expertise. We will be exploring connections at Women Deliver 2023 to advance gender equity and SRHR including safe abortion – and to learn, deepen partnerships, celebrate accomplishments, and plan for the future.
We look forward to exploring these themes and more at this year’s Women Deliver. We hope to see you there! If not, stay tuned for key conference takeaways and how it will inform our work moving forward.
Will you join us in committing to #StartWithHer at Women Deliver 2023? Contact Alison Malmqvist ([email protected]) and Nina Hasen ([email protected]).
