Women’s Health and Empowerment Center of Expertise

Vision: We envision a world in which all women and girls are empowered and healthy. Mission: Our mission is to promote justice, equity and scientific advances to reduce gender and health disparities globally.

COE Vision of Empowerment

Empowerment is the ABILITY to

ACT on choices, involvingthree related processes:1. Address causes of

disempowerment;

2. Improve women’s access to and control over current and future resources; and

3. Use improved access to resources & decision-making to achieve individual and collective well-being and health.

Women’s Health & Empowerment Background

Advances in women’s health globally are impeded by: Female poverty Limited access to education and economic opportunities Gender bias and discrimination Unjust laws Insufficient state accountability

These forces intersect to restrict access to vital women’s health services and information women need to improve their lives.

Our focus is on an area of great global disparity-- sexual and reproductive health and rights--which has implications for women’s health throughout their lives.

By emphasizing women’s rights and empowerment, we are uniquely poised to engender the social changes and sustainability that will yield long-term improvements in health and well-being.

Women’s Health and Empowerment Goals

Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights

Safe Motherhood

Reducing violence against women

Family planning and reproductive health technologies

HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment

Reduction of environmental threats to women

Women’s Health and Empowerment Organization

Women’s Health and Empowerment Contribution to the Field

Key Components

• Focus on the interplay and interconnectedness of women’s empowerment and health

• Conduct research on women’s empowerment and health; connect research with education and training of new leaders.

Inter-Disciplinary Approach

Health Sciences Nursing & Midwifery Medicine Public Health

Empowerment Sciences Anthropology Law Sociology Arts & Culture Psychology

Women’s Health and Empowerment Research Agenda

Test new policies, interventions and technologies• What policies and programs can improve women’s health

through empowerment, and vice versa?

Study natural experiments and identify effective cross-cutting interventions• Aim to increase understanding and data available on the

relationship between women’s health and empowerment

Examine barriers and test alternative approaches to overcome them• Proven technologies exist - what impedes the delivery and/or

use?

Research Example: Shamba Maisha

Women’s Health and Empowerment Planned Research Activities

Develop signature research projects

Facilitate research workshops that specifically address intersection of women’s health and empowerment• Conduct workshops

internationally to ensure partnership and capacity strengthening.

Create mentoring opportunitiesbetween junior and establishedresearchers in Women’s Health and Empowerment

Women’s Health and Empowerment Planned Research Activities (cont’d)

Identify potential Requests for Proposals and other collaborative opportunities in women’s health and empowerment

Set up research seed grant program in conjunction with a foundation or donor

Create a database of current Women’s Health and Empowerment research (within UC system and by partners)

Develop a compendium of methodologies and tools, particularly those related to measurement of empowerment

Women’s Health and Empowerment Planned Education Activities

Contribution to UCSF Masters in Global Health Sciences• Fall 2010 Seminar: Interdisciplinary

introduction to Safe Motherhood

• Winter 2011 Seminars: Interdisciplinary, linked by common area/approach. Topics to be determined.

• Facilitate WH&E focused field placements for graduate students

Long term vision - Joint Degree Program

• One degree granted by two UC campuses

• Under discussion

Women’s Health and Empowerment Planned Education Activities (cont’d)

Build on current/planned UC courses• Catalogue current UC courses in health and/or empowerment

Strengthen Interdisciplinary Teaching Capacity• Set up workshops to train faculty in interdisciplinary teaching

methods

Plan workshops for faculty• Plan November 2010 retreat to develop core curriculum,

standardize definitions and review methodologies

Establish Student Advisory Committee

Women’s Health and EmpowermentKnowledge Dissemination Activities

Establish COE external advisory board representing multiple constituencies

Enhance COE visibility and outreach Conceptualize, draft, and edit book (UC Press)

– COE’s first multidisciplinary publication

Evaluate Program

– Establish measures for internal COE evaluation

– Provide technical assistance for empowerment program evaluation in global settings

Women’s Health and Empowerment Partners

Academic• Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria• Aga Khan University School of Nursing• Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania• University of Zambia • University of Zimbabwe• Kenya Medical Research Institute

Multi-national• WHO• UNFPA

Women’s Health and Empowerment Partners (cont’d)

Governmental• National Center for HIV/AIDS/STDs and Dermatology in Cambodia• Vietnamese Ministry of Health• Institute for Public Health in Mexico• Eritrea Women’s Fistula Program• Public Health Research Institute, Mysore, India

Non-governmental• CARE Sonke Gender Justice

• PATH Just Detention International• Marie Stopes International Global Fund for Women• California Family PACT Program ICRW• Population Council EngenderHealth• Pathfinder International• IPAS • Ibis Reproductive Health• Venture Strategies for Health and Development

Women’s Health and Empowerment Existing Regional Focus

AFRICA• Kenya• Tanzania• South Africa• Zimbabwe• Zambia

ASIA & THE PACIFIC• Vietnam• Cambodia• India

LATIN AMERICA• Mexico

“When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are

given a better start in life”

“Gender equality is more than a goal itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting

sustainable development and building good governance.”

- Kofi Annan