Women’s Health in the WHO African Region : a call for action : Report of the Regional Director
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Abstract
By virtue of their multiple roles, women constitute a key link in the chain of developmentactions worldwide. Women not only account for over half of the population of countries in general,but they also invest their energy in families and communities, thus contributing to the wealth ofnations.2. Women need to be in a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being to be able tocarry out their numerous responsibilities. Against this background, during the United Nations Decadefor Women (1975-1985) and at various international meetings on population and development,1Member States of the United Nations agreed that women’s health and their active participation indevelopment actions were closely linked.3. Unfortunately, the huge majority of African women are still unaware of their fundamental rightsto health, education and life as part of the fundamental rights they gained several decades ago.2 Theycontinue to suffer from sociocultural discrimination, harmful traditional practices such as femalegenital mutilation (FGM), gender-based violence, food taboos, forced marriages, early and unwantedpregnancies, all of which are very harmful to their health.Citation
Regional Committee for Africa, 58. (2008). Women’s Health in the WHO African Region : a call for action : Report of the Regional Director. World Health Organization. Regional Office for Africa. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/19936