European perspectives on global health: a policy glossary

5. Europe must act now for global health
countries in Europe and by ideological opposition to
access to reproductive health and rights.
The <strong>European</strong> Union has been active in promoting
women’s reproductive health, in particular through
aid for policies and actions on reproductive and sexual
health and connected rights, one of the two thematic
areas of the Europe Aid Cooperation Office. The
<strong>European</strong> Commission, through its Directorate General
on Development, has affirmed its conviction that
the Millennium Development Goals should be linked
to the health and rights of women and children, as
well as its commitment to the implementation of the
Millennium Declaration.
Similarly, countries of the EU have affirmed, both
at the global and regional level, their beliefs in
reproductive health and rights as a development
priority. At a meeting organised by the Government
of Sweden and the United Nations Population Fund
in Stockholm in May 2005, over 20 developing and
developed nations put forth the “Stockholm Call to
Action : Investing in reproductive health and rights as
a development priority”, by which they committed,
among other things, to mobilise political commitment
on this topic in national and global meetings,
strengthen health systems to support reproductive
and sexual health, invest in efforts to increase
women’s decision-making power in all aspects of
their lives, and continue work towards improved aid
effectiveness on that topic. In January 2006 in Riga,
Latvia, parliamentarians from the newly incorporated
Baltic countries expressed similar concerns and their
wish to contribute to an increased awareness on the
subject. Through the Riga parliamentary statement of
commitment, they committed in particular to giving
high priority to sexual and reproductive health and
rights in international development policies at the
national level and in <strong>European</strong> institutions.
Action : There is a need for the EU to develop a
policy that spells out its gender mainstreaming
strategy in reference to macroeconomic components,
such as trade, economic cooperation, political
dialogue, and humanitarian aid. A political will
and commitment for gender issues and women’s
health are needed. Responsibility and accountability
should be strategically placed at the highest level
( EU Commissioners, heads of unit, and heads of
delegation ) and gender issues should be a regular
agenda item in discussions between the EU and
partner countries.
References :
Benería, L., Floro, M., Grown, C. and MacDonald, M.
“Globalisation and Gender”, Feminist Economics, 2000,
6( 3 ) : 7–18
Çaǧatay, N. and Ertürk, K. Gender and Globalisation : A
Macroeconomic Perspective. World Commission on the
Social Dimension of Globalisation, Working Paper No.19.
Geneva :International Labour Organization, 2004.
Jenkins, R. “Globalisation, Production, Employment and
Poverty : Debates and Evidence”, Journal of International
Development, 2004,16 :1-12.
Kawachi, I. and Wamala, S. ( eds. ) Globalisation and Health.
New York : Oxford University Press, 2006.
Lee, K., Buse, K. and Fustukian, S. ( eds. ) Health Policy in a
Globalising World. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press,
2002.
Lee, K. ( ed. ) Health Impacts of Globalisation : Towards
Global Governance. London : Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
68 <strong>European</strong> Foundation Centre – <strong>European</strong> Partnership for Global Health