Few global health organisations promote gender equality

Only a select group of the world's top global health organisations have placed gender equality at the centre of their operations, according to a new report involving UCL researchers. The findings come from the new research and accountability initiative, Global Health 50/50, part funded by Wellcome and co-led by Professor Sarah Hawkes of UCL's Centre for Gender and Global Health and Dr Kent Buse of UNAIDS. The report analysed the policies and practices of 140 top health organisations and found that only 40% mention gender in strategy documents and just one-third state a commitment to gender equality to benefit the health of all people. The report also showed that decision-making power remains in the hands of men, although women constitute the vast majority of people working in global health, accounting for up to 75% of the health workforce in some countries. In addition the report found 69% of organisations are headed by men and 80% of board chairs are men. The 2018 Global Health 50/50 Report is the first of its kind and provides an in-depth look at the extent to which the organisations understand and define gender as a determinant of health, or as an indicator of equality within their own organisation. "The initiative was established with the aim of promoting dialogue on the two issues.