Parliamentarians for Women's Health

Parliamentarians for Women’s Health is a groundbreaking initiative in East and southern Africa to strengthen parliamentarians’ efforts to improve women’s and girls’ access to health services, specifically HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention, care and counseling.

Parliamentarians for Women’s Health is a leadership initiative developed around the idea that if leaders have accurate and timely information related to women’s health – specifically HIV and AIDS – and are connected with HIV/AIDS community networks, especially those in their respective countries, then these leaders will be better poised to take action and make decisions that improve women’s access to health services.

Political will and leadership are fundamental to improving women’s access to health services. Efforts to increase women’s access to health services have fallen short in many developing countries because of underlying economic, political, social and cultural constraints. Parliamentarians are well-placed to promote gender sensitive health policies, whether through legislative mandates, acting as public role models and spokespersons for gender equality and public openness about HIV and AIDS, or supporting development of a sustainable national health infrastructure.

Why women's health?

• HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases continue to devastate countries in many parts of Africa and worldwide.
• In many parts of Africa, women’s and girls’ health needs are woefully underserved, especially when it comes to prevention and care of HIV and AIDS: Nearly 60 percent of women in sub-Saharan Africa are living with HIV.
• Current efforts to increase women’s and girls’ access to health services are falling short of these immediate needs.
• Underlying economic, political, social and cultural constraints continue to impede women’s and girls’ access to health services.

Coming soon