Breaking the Cycle of Injustice - Championing Health and Women’s Empowerment in Rural Settings to Address NCDs

 

12 March 2018

 

10:00 - 11:15

 

Conference Room A, UN Headquarters,  New York

 

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a major barrier to gender equity; this injustice starts early in life and continues as girls are pulled from school, if given the opportunity to attend at a young age, and often placed into the role of caregiver, where they are less likely to receive proper nutrition, participate in physical activity, and are more exposed to indoor air pollution from cookstoves, as well as many other risk factors for developing NCDs later in life. 

 

For women, adolescents and girls in rural settings, these injustices are even more pronounced, with their increased exposure to NCD risk factors further exacerbated by the centralization of health care centers, making it difficult for women in rural areas to travel to receive quality services and essential information about health-promoting behaviors, prevention, screening, treatment, and care. Women, adolescents, and girls also face a number of vulnerabilities due to gender and economic inequity, elevating the need for NCD approaches to be closely integrated into women’s empowerment initiatives beyond health. 

 

Ahead of the upcoming third High-Level Meeting on NCDs to be held at the United Nations, CSW62 provides an opportunity to highlight how ensuring gender responsive interventions can improve the lives of women and girls at all ages and in all geographic and socioeconomic settings, driving progress on goals and targets beyond SDG 3 on health.

 

This event will explore the need for political will at the highest level and NCD champions to drive the response, and how co-benefit solutions deliver long-lasting results for women and girls.

 

Confirmed speakers:

• H.E. Mr Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative  of Jamaica to the UN 
• Dr Nata Menabde, Executive Director of WHO Office at UN
• Dr Fiona Adshead, Deputy CEO and Director of Strategy and Partnerships, NCD Alliance
• Ms Jessica Mack, Senior Director, Advocacy and Communications, Global Health Corps