On International Women’s Day, Global Health 50/50 launched the Global Health 50/50 2021 Report, Gender Equality: Flying blind in a time of crisis.
Against the backdrop of a calamitous 2020, the 2021 Report records notable areas of progress and hope. Organisational commitment to gender equality has surged since our first report four years ago, and organisations are becoming more transparent about their policies to shape diverse, inclusive and equitable working environments for all people. These represent important advances towards our shared goal of gender equality.
The latest data also suggest that rhetoric may be substituting for action. The Report finds, for example, that the vast majority of programmatic activity to prevent and address the health impacts of COVID-19 largely appears to ignore the role of gender. The result has been predominantly gender-blind pandemic responses across the health sector, meaning that interventions and programmes are less effective than they should be – with grave consequences for the health of people around the world.
Gender as a driver of everyone’s health should not be allowed to fall off the agenda in a time of crisis. As we turn to COVID-19 recoveries, we hope that leaders and employees alike will harness the renewed global urgency to tackle inequalities and improve health for all. The health and well-being of the people both employed and served by organisations active in global health cannot afford another year of missed opportunities.
Join the discussions and register to attend the launch events to coincide with the release of the GH5050 2021 Report.
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Image: This is Gender 2021 winning image- Black drag magic – portrait of a drag artist and activist
Lee-Ann Olwage. South Africa, 2019.