Reacting on Thursday 28 October to the publication of a new EU Gender Equality Index, the European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, acknowledged that integrating the gender perspective in health is “crucial for effective health care services and policies”.
In its Equality Index 2021, published on Thursday, the EU Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has put a “spotlight” on the links between health and gender equality.
According to the EIGE, health remains one of the areas least affected by gender inequalities. However, a number of inequalities remain.
In particular, the Commissioner expressed concern about the specific barriers faced by girls and women in the EU in accessing sexual and reproductive health care - barriers that have been exacerbated by the health crisis.
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, “women and girls struggled with accessing menstrual hygiene information and supplies because of school closures, mobility restrictions and economic distress”, the Commissioner stated, noting that barriers already existed in some States well before the pandemic.
“In Europe, one of the richest regions in the world, women and girls are still missing work or school due to lack of menstrual products. This is highly unjust”, also reacted Hungarian MEP Katalin Cseh (Renew Europe).
More broadly, the EIGE points out that almost 95% of family planning needs are met among women in the EU, but that differences remain between Member States.
For example, while in Slovenia only 3% of women and girls report having unmet needs for family planning, the rate is 5% in Germany and 8% in Spain.
The same is true for access to abortion: “laws and policies on accessing abortion services, with reproductive health consequences for those using them, vary greatly across Europe”, the EIGE notes, referring to the existence of obstacles to legal abortions to varying degrees across the EU.
The European network of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) welcomed, on Thursday, a recognition that “sexual and reproductive health and rights are essential to health and gender equality”.
The Commissioner for Equality reiterated that “ensuring affordable access to appropriate, affordable and quality healthcare for everyone remains a priority for the EU”.
To consult the index: https://bit.ly/3pPYTXm (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)