International Women’s Health Day: All you need to know

On May 28, the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, activists around the world will take action, mobilize, and highlight demands towards the fulfilment of women’s right to health.

On May 28th, International Day of Action for Women’s Health is being coordinated by the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR).

History

May 28th has been commemorated by women ’s health advocates and their communities since 1987, when during the International Women’s Health Meeting in Costa Rica, Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Health Network (LACWHN) proposed to celebrate May 28 annually as the International Day of Action for Women’s Health.

Being the leading regional network LACWHN took the responsibility of promoting and coordinating the regional actions, while Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) being the global network was requested to spearhead May 28 campaign globally. Both networks worked closely together with the group of core active members in coordinating the campaign efforts.

Since its inaugural launch in 1987, May 28th has been recognized as the International Day of Action for Women’s Health by several governments, various international agencies and multiple civil society organizations around the world. LACWHN and WGNRR have maintained the campaign through yearly collaborative Calls for Action, each year focusing on a particular topic related to women’s health. The range of topics throughout the years included:

– Access to Quality Health Care
– Feminisation of Poverty
– Access to Safe and Legal Abortion
– Government Accountability in Prioritizing Health Markets
– Health Sector Reform and Women’s Health
– Women and HIV/AIDS
– International Trade Agreements and Women’s Access to Health
– VAW as a Global Health Emergency
– Young People’s SRHR
– Access to Contraceptives

(Source: WGNRR)