When is the international day of women’s health 2023

The International Day of Women’s Health is an annual global health awareness day celebrated on May 28th. First initiated in 1987, this day recognizes the importance of women’s health and wellbeing around the world. It brings together governments, nonprofits, healthcare providers, activists, communities and individuals to help promote better health outcomes for women globally. This article will provide an overview of International Women’s Health Day, its history and significance, key 2023 themes, ways to get involved, and the future outlook for advancing women’s health equity worldwide.

When is International day of women’s health?

The International Day of Women’s Health occurs annually on May 28th. In 2023, this globally recognized health awareness day will take place on Sunday, May 28th. The date of May 28th was selected back in 1987 to commemorate the first Women’s Global Health Meeting held by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1984.

For over three and a half decades, May 28th has provided a focal point each year to raise public awareness, mobilize action, and advocate for improving healthcare access and outcomes for women and girls globally. The platform has helped unite diverse stakeholders across borders and backgrounds in promoting better health for all women worldwide.

History of the International day of women’s health

The International Day of Women’s Health was first initiated in 1987 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its Division of Women and Health, now called the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research.

This inaugural Female health day coincided with the founding of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Women’s Health at the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Leaders from this center were instrumental in envisioning and promoting the launch of an International Day of Women’s Health starting in 1987 to galvanize broader public attention on women’s health equity.

Every year since, diverse stakeholders have come together to mark the International Day of Women’s Health as an opportunity to advocate, catalyze discussion, develop partnerships, and spur action on some of the most pressing women’s health issues globally.

Over the decades, International Women’s Health Day themes have spanned maternal health, noncommunicable diseases impacting women, aging, gender-based violence, menstrual health and hygiene, mental health, environmental health risks and more.

Significance of International day of women’s health

The Female health day holds great significance for continuing to propel women’s health forward worldwide in numerous impactful ways:

Raising Awareness

The day shines a spotlight on major women’s health issues and neglected areas to expand public understanding. Health awareness saves lives.

Mobilizing Advocacy

It activates year-round advocacy for equitable women’s health policies, funding research, improving health systems, and dismantling access barriers.

Inspiring Action

Spotlighting challenges motivates diverse stakeholders – governments, health organizations, activists, communities – to implement solutions advancing women’s health.

Building Partnerships

Collaboration across borders, sectors and groups is strengthened to align efforts addressing the interconnected factors influencing women’s wellbeing.

Empowering Women and Girls

It supports health literacy and resources so women can champion their own health needs. Girls realize their potential to become future women leaders and providers.

Promoting Accountability

Governments, health agencies and other custodians are held accountable to addressing women’s health disparities and access barriers.

Catalyzing Progress

By uniting worldwide attention on women’s health yearly, the day catalyzes progress across all 364 other days of the year as well.

In these multidimensional ways, the International Day of Women’s Health lives up to its vision as a “day of action to improve the health of women and girls everywhere.”

2023 Themes

Each year, the WHO selects priority themes highlighting specific women’s health topics to spotlight on International Women’s Health Day, in alignment with its current women’s health strategy.

For 2023, the WHO has designated two priority themes:

Cervical Cancer Elimination

Aligning with WHO’s global strategy to accelerate elimination of cervical cancer, a leading cause of women’s cancer deaths, especially in lower resource settings. 2023 will focus on expanding access to vaccination, screening and treatment worldwide.

Strengthening Quality of Care During Childbirth

Highlighting the need for skilled birth attendants, respectful maternity care, functional facilities and integrated services to ensure safe deliveries and positive childbirth experiences for every woman globally.

These two urgent women’s health issues will be the focus of 2023 messaging, events and calls to action by the WHO secretariat and partners worldwide.

Get Involved: 2023 International Women’s Health Day Ideas

Many ways exist for diverse stakeholders to get involved in the International Day of Women’s Health and do their part to advance women’s health equity locally or globally:

Individuals

• Share women’s health facts, stories and infographics on social media
• Attend a women’s health awareness event in your community
• Talk to your healthcare providers about screening tests relevant for you
• Learn your own family health history
• Start positive health habits – nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management
• Donate to a women’s health charity

Healthcare Professionals: international day of women’s health

• Offer reduced cost health screenings – blood pressure, pap tests, mammograms
• Hold an open house to educate women on health services
• Provide free health seminars on women’s wellness topics
• Volunteer at community women’s clinics
• Profile diverse women leaders in healthcare
• Advocate for policies protecting women’s coverage and access

Public Health Practitioners: international day of women’s health

• Develop women’s health literacy brochures or webpages
• Lead a women’s health discussion workshop
• Organize a women’s health needs assessment
• Create an infographic on local women’s health statistics
• Implement a women’s health promotion campaign – maternal health, screening awareness
• Make research data easily accessible to communities

Policy Makers: international day of women’s health

• Declare May 28th International Women’s Health Day officially
• Develop new policies expanding women’s healthcare access
• Call public hearings soliciting input from women on health needs
• Appropriate funding to underserved women’s health initiatives
• Recognize outstanding women’s health leaders
• Ensure women and girls’ health interests are integrated into all policies

Educators: international day of women’s health

• Teach a unit on women’s health milestones and biology
• Host a women’s health career day showcasing different medical specialties
• Distribute menstruation resources and feminine hygiene products to students
• Discuss sexual health, consent and healthy relationships
• Implement wellness workshops – nutrition, fitness, stress management
• Refer students to school nurses or counselors if needing physical/mental health support

Community Leaders: international day of women’s health

• Coordinate an awareness march/rally
• Engage spiritual leaders to address topics like domestic violence, mental health
• Partner with businesses to sponsor women’s health events and spread key messages
• Host film screenings and panel discussions on women’s health issues
• Develop women’s support groups and networks
• Ensure community programs meet the needs of vulnerable women and girls

Using creative grassroots strategies tailored to one’s unique role and community, we can all help make International Women’s Health Day impactful.

The Global Outlook on Women’s Health

Access to quality affordable healthcare remains out of reach for millions of women worldwide, contributing to preventable deaths and suffering.

Key challenges influencing women’s health globally include:

• Lack of skilled birth attendants and weak health systems in many regions leading to high maternal mortality
• Barriers to accessing cancer screenings and vaccination for diseases like HPV and hepatitis
• Systemic gender inequities reducing resources allocated to women’s health needs
• Harmful sociocultural norms like gender-based violence and child marriage
• Environmental health hazards exacerbated by climate change
• Insufficient progress on women’s health priorities by governments and international institutions
• Funding shortfalls for women’s health programs and research

However, global momentum continues to build through growing partnerships across public, private and nonprofit sectors to align efforts improving women’s health worldwide. Ongoing advocacy around female health day also maintains pressure on leaders to invest in women’s right to healthcare.

Some positive trends emerging include:

• Stronger political prioritization of women’s health in national policies
• Scaling up of community health worker programs improving local access
• Advances in mHealth technology expanding remote care delivery
• Increased availability of HPV vaccination in lower-resourced regions
• Surging in youth activism on taboo women’s health issues like menstrual equity
• More women rising as leaders within global health fields

The female health day provides a yearly reminder of the collective responsibility to uphold women’s wellbeing worldwide. Though challenges persist, increasing collaboration and action instill hope for a healthier future for all women.

Conclusion

The International Day of Women’s Health, commemorated each May 28th, shines a spotlight on critical health issues affecting women and girls globally. First launched in 1987, this awareness event calls upon all sectors to improve education, services, policies and research advancing women’s health equity.

As International Women’s Health Day continues to gain momentum yearly, it serves as a catalyst uniting diverse partners worldwide behind a shared vision for healthy, thriving women everywhere. Supporting International Women’s Health Day through advocacy, education and outreach makes a meaningful difference – not just on May 28th, but throughout the entire year ahead.