Intersectoral action to transform health equity for women and girls globally

Worldwide, women and girls continue to face unfair barriers to equal access to education, jobs, and healthcare. These barriers profoundly affect their health and well-being. One of the most overlooked injustices is the gender health gap, which corresponds to the unfair differences in health outcomes between women and men. This gap exists because most medical research on women’s unique health needs is under-researched, underfunded, and ignored due to wider global political and social forces. To change this, we need a coordinated effort across society, not just reforming healthcare. Here we discuss key methods to achieve this: putting more women in leadership roles, especially in politics and healthcare, to help shape fair health policies; supporting women’s education and economic independence to establish equal positions in their society so they can advocate for their right to equitable healthcare; raising public awareness to build collective action and tailor research to women’s health needs that can help close the long-standing gender health gap; and building healthcare systems that work for women.