A new policy brief from the International Labour Organization (ILO) shows that social health protection is key to ensuring effective access to quality healthcare for women, and support their income security during sickness and maternity.
The brief, titled Social health protection for gender equality was published in time to mark International Women's Day and it sets out practical guidance for the design of social health protection policies that work for women.
This year's International Women Day - under the theme Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls - comes at a pivotal moment, as setbacks in access to health and reproductive services affect women in various countries, and many women continue to face barriers to accessing essential care without hardship, despite progress in expanding health coverage in some parts of the world.
The new ILO brief makes the case that social protection and health policies must place gender equality at their core if they are to protect women's rights and deliver meaningful results for women and girls worldwide.
Social security and health are fundamental human rights. Yet even where laws and regulations guarantee equal access to healthcare for women and men, inequalities in the labour market contribute to a situation where women do not benefit equally in practice. Women shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid care work, are more likely than men to be in informal employment in many parts of the world, and earn lower wages - all factors that can limit their effective access to social health protection and play a role in differential health outcomes.
Acknowledging these realities, the ILO policy brief calls for making gender a core consideration in the design and implementation of social health protection policies and schemes. This objective includes formulating benefit packages that reflect women's health needs throughout their lives, making quality services available close to where women live and strengthening financial protection measures that rely on broad risk pooling. By addressing both gender-specific healthcare needs and social determinants of health inequalities, social health protection can play a key role in promoting gender equality in terms of access to healthcare services and health outcomes.
Social protection policies should support women at all stages of life - including addressing their needs during maternity and beyond. In old age, for instance, many women face greater risks of poverty, ill health and unmet care needs due to lower lifetime earnings and pension gaps. The brief further addresses how aligning social protection with income security and care policies can provide robust protection, helping to promote dignity and well-being through women's life.
