APEC creates health toolkit for women economic participation

Governments and businesses across Asia Pacific will now find it easier to introduce health policies that will facilitate the participation of women in economies after a toolkit for this was established during Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings that are currently being held here in Manila.

Launched on Wednesday, the Healthy Economic Policy Toolkit offers a one-stop menu of policy options that can be used to pilot, implement, and scale up actions appropriate to local economic and social conditions.

The toolkit was unveiled by health, economic development and gender officials from APEC member economies.

It is expected to open doors to potentially significant improvements in social mobility and growth across the region.

“Better health outcomes for women are a prerequisite for increased women’s participation in an economy,” said Janette Loreto-Garin, Philippine Secretary of Health and co-Chair of the Experts Group that oversaw the drafting of the toolkit.

In her welcome remarks during the 2015 APEC Women and the Economy Forum, Garin said the Philippines is committed to putting words into action by piloting the toolkit with the hope that the country's experience may serve as a guide for greater progress.

“There may be ample public and private sector support for advancing women’s economic empowerment but a problem can be knowing where to start,” added Nora Terrado, Philippine Undersecretary of Trade and Industry and Chair of this year’s APEC Women and the Economy fora.

International Labor Organization (ILO) cited that around a billion women globally could play a more active role in their economies. This includes women in informal, vulnerable and unregulated employment as well as women with disabilities and migrant women.

ILO said health barriers, in many cases, inhibit them from entering and remaining in the workforce, and achieving career advancement.

Catherine Russell, United States Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, said this health toolkit brings together the necessary stakeholders to advance health, labor, economic growth, and gender equality all at once.

"When you consider the research that shows domestic violence costs economies two percent of GDP [gross domestic product], it’s clear that women’s health and safety is a critical issue in economic policy," Russell pointed out.

The toolkit details issues, actions and implementing elements for improving women’s health in APEC economies across five categories: Workplace health and safety; health access and awareness; work-life balance; sexual and reproductive health; and genderbased violence.

“Fostering policies that empower women to participate in economies and benefit directly from the forces of globalization has become a high priority within APEC,” said APEC Secretariat executive director Alan Bollard.

Merck Healthcare chief executive officer Belén Garijo, who also served as co-Chair of the Experts Group, said there is a real need to narrow gaps in the understanding of the relationship between women’s health, participation in the economy and economic outcomes.

“The new opportunity we have today to define gender balanced health policies and support implementation work bodes well for the building of inclusive economies into the future," Garijo said.