World Health Organization (WHO)

World Health Organization (WHO)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.

Founded on 7 April, 1948, this date is now used to celebrate World Health Day. Its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland with regional offices throughout the world. The WHO has 193 Member States.
<h2 id="w_whos-work-on-womens-health">WHO’s work on Women’s Health</h2>
The Gender and Women’s Health Department (GWH) is responsible for the WHO’s work on women’s health. GWH advocates gender equality in health for women and men around the world. It brings attention to the ways in which biological and socio-cultural factors affect the health of women and men, boys and girls. It aims to increase knowledge and strengthen the health sector response by gathering evidence, strengthening capacity and engaging in advocacy on how gender and gender inequality affect health.

<b>Main strategies</b>:
<ul>
<li>ensuring capacities for gender analysis and planning;</li>
<li>mainstreaming gender in corporate functions, for example gender responsive results-based management planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation;</li>
<li>disaggregating data and conducting gender analysis; and</li>
<li>establishing accountability for mainstreaming gender.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="w_sources">References</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.who.int">WHO website</a></li>
</ul>
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