INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, August 9
Seven out of 10 executive leaders and board chairpersons in organisations involved in global health are men
One in seven organisations fail to make any explicit commitment to gender equality
There is 13.5 per cent difference in median earnings of male and female employees globally.
The second Global Health 50/50 2019 Report,
disseminated today at an event co-hosted by the National Women Commission and Centre for Research on Environment Health and Population
Activities (CREHPA) revealed that there was widespread gender-based discrimination at workplaces around the world
The report exposed pay gaps, lack of policies on parental leave, sexual harassment and flexible working and a systematic absence of women in
leadership roles.
The report which provided an analysis of 198 global organisations active in health sector, covering an estimated 4.5
million employees worldwide revealed that the majorities were failing to deliver on sexual harassment policies, gender pay gap reporting and
gender parity in leadership positions.
The sample included organisations from 10 sectors, headquartered in 28 countries across six regions
— Western Europe, Asia, Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania
The organisations in the study included United Nations bodies, bilateral and multilateral development institutions, philanthropic
organisations, non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations, public-private partnerships, private sector, academic journal and
their parent companies.
The report which was based on a review of publicly available information conducted between October 2018 and February
2019 provided an in-depth look at the extent to which global organisations active in health sector took action to promote gender equality
within the workplace across four dimensions: commitment, evidence informed policy content, equitable outcomes in power and pay, and gender
responsive programmes.
The report revealed that only 16 organisations were explicit in the inclusion of transgender people in their
commitment to gender equality
Among the governing boards, seven male board chairs were replaced by women and two female board chairs were replaced by men between
The research also found that one third (63/198) of organisations published their sexual harassment policies online.
Global Health 50/50 is
an initiative created to advance accountability and action for gender equality in global health housed by the University College London
Centre for Gender and Global Health.
A panel discussion on the challenges and progress for gender equality in Nepal was also held during the
&State of gender equality in global health organisations shows the health sector is not exempt
There are also inequalities in health sector in Nepal
There are inequalities in public health services in Nepal
Domestic violence against women is high
We need to work on provision of breastfeeding spaces in workplaces, increasing the access to family planning among various other areas of
health,& said Pushpa Chaudhary, secretary at Ministry of Health and Population.
Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizens Tham Maya
Thapa said, &The constitution has guaranteed rights for women but its implementation is a challenge
Until and unless there is a social transformation, it is difficult for a woman to enjoy her rights.&
&We are delighted to be involved in
these important discussions on the challenges and progress for gender equality in Nepal
It is important to now take Nepal impressive progress institutionalising women rights and promoting women economic and political empowerment
and ensure that these commitments on paper are translated into real change both within the workplace and in society more widely,& said Sarah
Hawkes of University College of London and co-founder of GH50/50.
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