The second annual Global Health 50/50 report was launched on 7 March in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The report reviews progress made over the past 12 months by organizations active in the health sector to implement policies that promote gender equality, non-discrimination and inclusion in the workplace.
This year’s report, Equality works, reviews the gender-related policies and practices of almost 200 organizations. The sample includes organizations from 10 sectors, headquartered in 28 countries across the world that together employ an estimated 4.5 million people.
The report provides a comprehensive guide to how far global organizations active in health are taking steps to promote gender equality across four areas: commitment, evidence-informed policy content, equitable outcomes in power and pay and gender-responsive programming.
The Global Health 50/50 review identifies 14 organizations as very high scorers across these four areas, including UN Women, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Population Fund. UNAIDS is included in a list of a further 17 organizations identified as high scorers.
However, the report stresses that even among good performers, there remains an urgent need for organizations to live up to and put into practice their stated policies on equality, non-discrimination and inclusion.
Ethiopia’s President, Sahle-Work Zewde, was the keynote speaker at the launch and spoke of the need to promote female leadership to implement policies and programmes that foster gender equality.
Ms Sahle-Work is Ethiopia’s first female head of state and currently the only female head of state across Africa. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, has ensured gender parity among his cabinet ministers.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director, said it was fitting that the event was taking place in Ethiopia and spoke of the importance of reaching gender equality as a matter of social justice.
“Women continue to be left behind and are more likely to face harassment and discrimination and slower career progression,” said Mr Sidibé, “It is an outrage that on average women today earn 20% less than men for no reason other than their gender. This must change.”
Mr Sidibé said UNAIDS had made progress on gender parity but acknowledged there was more to be done. He said that UNAIDS had increased the proportion of female country directors from 26% in 2013 to 48% today. He also pointed to the introduction of a single parental leave policy and the expansion of the UNAIDS Leadership Programme to all women in the organization as examples of its commitment to reaching gender equality.
