Two new reports provide insights into the current state of gender equity in the health workforce

New York, 30 March 2019 - Gender inequity is both a challenge and an opportunity in the health workforce, with too few women making critical decisions and leading the work despite comprising 70% of the workforce. Two new WHO reports launched at a side event of the 63rd Commission on the Status of Women, examine the current state of gender inequality in the health workforce and conclude that adopting policies that address the underlying causes of gender inequities must be put in place if global targets such as universal health coverage (UHC) are to be achieved. Doing so could unleash broader socio-economic gains and spur women’s economic empowerment.

Delivered by women, led by men: A gender and equity analysis of the global health and social workforce, produced by the WHO Global Health Workforce Network’s Gender Equity Hub^*, points to workplace gender biases, discrimination and inequities that are systemic in the health workforce. The report highlights that women health workers are concentrated into lower status, lower paid and often, unpaid roles, facing harsh realities of gender bias and harassment. It also highlights occupational segregation by gender in the health sector that is both deep and universal. An accompanying working paper Gender equity in the health workforce: An analysis of 104 countries uses recent health workforce data to provide robust estimates of female participation in the health workforce, occupational segregation by gender and the gender pay gap.

The health and social sector is one of the largest employers of women. Investments in the health and social workforce are critical to avert the projected shortfall of 18 million health workers by 2030. Improved gender equity in the global health workforce will result in widespread social and economic benefits, including reducing the global health worker shortage, strengthening the movement for gender equality and women’s empowerment, and fueling economic growth and development.

These reports lay the foundation for gender-transformative policy action to tackle the root causes of gender inequity that will be driven by the Working For Health programme, led by the WHO, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), with support from the Gender Equity Hub of the Global Health Workforce Network.

^* The Gender Equity Hub (GEH), is co-chaired by the WHO and Women in Global Health