Laws, policies and social norms that advance gender equality and combat discrimination, coercion and violence are crucial to ensuring that populations and communities survive, thrive and transform; women, children and adolescents must be agents of change in these processes.

Why is empowerment of women, girls and communities a focus area for 2018-2020?

Healthy, educated and empowered women and girls can foster the changes needed to create empowered communities and, consequently, a more sustainable and peaceful future for all, as envisioned by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Evidence shows that investing in women and girls creates a ripple effect that yields multiple benefits which extend to their families, communities and countries.

Numerous challenges need to be addressed throughout the life course, including lack of official birth registration, lack of age-appropriate quality care and barriers to participation in education and employment. Gender-based inequalities, harmful norms, discriminatory practices and violence persist worldwide. Complex development challenges and shifting politics are threatening the health and rights of women and girls. Progress in addressing gender inequalities has been too slow, some gains are being lost; in some areas progress is even being reversed. ^11>

What needs to be done?

There is widespread agreement that empowering women, girls and communities is an urgent priority requiring concerted action on several fronts, including to:

• eliminate harmful practices, discrimination and violence against women and girls;
• adopt laws, policies and social norms that enable women’s social, economic and political participation and provide equal opportunities for women, girls and communities;
• invest in social, behavioural and community engagement (SBCE) research, policies and programmes;
• increase collaboration and integration across sectors;
• ensure health policies and programmes are gender-responsive, rights-based and prioritize those most in need; and
• track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

How is PMNCH making a difference?

PMNCH aims to achieve more coordinated and aligned actions, policies and resources for empowering women, girls and communities. PMNCH’s work in this area focuses on supporting women, children and adolescents as agents of change and fostering their engagement in promoting gender equality and laws, policies and social norms that advance their health and rights.

PMNCH supports the dissemination of SBCE knowledge and evidence and advocates for increased investment in SBCE interventions. It also plays a lead role in advocacy and social media communications for the inclusion of SBCE interventions in rights-based policies and programmes for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health and well-being.

1. https://www.who.int/life-course/partners/global-strategy/gswcah-monitoring-report-2018.pdf