By Atiya Mahmoud, Digital Communications Associate, PSI and Julia Kenney, Sr. Communications Associate, PSI
Health systems are not doing Kenough for women and girls.
This International Women’s Day (IWD), this Barbie knows that women and girls need us all – partners, governments, and donors together – to invest in the systems that close gender gaps, address the double standards that limit the health and wellbeing of women and girls worldwide, and ensure women and girls stay at the fore in shaping the health solutions of tomorrow.
So come on Barbie (and, well, PSIers across our 40+ country network), let’s go…celebrate IWD 2024!
Video transcript below
“As women, we navigate an intricate web of societal expectations that constantly demand us to be exceptional while confining us. We are encouraged to be a boss, bold, and even outspoken, but cautioned against assertiveness. As a result, in many countries across the globe we can’t even speak up or make decisions about our own bodies or have the families we want. We face stigma about periods – at home, at school and in the workplace and can’t talk openly about sex and what we want and need.
A majority of the community health workers worldwide are women. As health workers and caregivers we are expected to keep our communities healthy. But these jobs are often low paid and offer limited opportunity for training and advancement. Whether it’s climate change, conflict or pandemics – Because of gender inequality, it takes a bigger toll on the health of women and girls. But when it comes to making decisions on how health dollars are spent, we are under-represented in leadership roles. And our voices are not taken into account when designing health systems.
It’s time to dismantle these unfair expectations and cultivate a world where women and girls can lead healthy lives and plan the families they desire. Join us in building stronger health systems that work for women and girls.”
