EWHNET

The European Women’s Health Network is a project in the Medium-Term Community Action Programme on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men (1996 –2001) and is financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Seniors, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ).

Duration of the Project: June, 1997 – September, 2001.

Why a European network for Women´s health?

Women live longer than men.

But women differ from men in regard to their health status, i.e. in the

Ø    incidence and prevalance of health problems

Ø    types of health problems

Ø    communication about health and ill-health

Ø    health experience

Ø    the consequences of health problems

Ø    treatments received

These differences are not considered adequately in the health system.

The health needs of women are not addressed adequately.

...and why European-wide?

Ø    A dialogue across borders offers an insight into the diversity of approaches, fosters mutual understanding as well as cooperation and represents an enrichment for one’s own work.

Ø    Women’s health is affected by European policies as well as by local or national policies and circumstances.

The theoretical framework of EWHNET...

...is a social model of health that includes socio-economic circumstances, life-styles, and living conditions.

Ø    Women’s health is usually discussed from a bio-medical point of view ignoring social factors such as socio-economic inequality, multiple roles (motherhood, housework, employment) and lack of social recognition.

Ø    Gender differences are either ignored (gender blindness) or exaggerated (gender stereotyping).

Ø    Consequences are medicalisation of normal life-phases, psychologisation, and marginalisation of women’s (health) problems in health care, health research, and health policies.

Ø    These consequences mostly lead to dependence of women on professionals of the health system

What does health promotion mean on this background?

  develop personal skills

   empower women to make personal decisions

on health issues based on informed consent

strengthen community action

promote networks of women

build healthy public policy

bring gender specific approaches in the focus of policy-makers

reorient health services

integrate gender specific approaches           

towards health in research, plannig,

health promotion and care                    

 create supportive environments

support women’s professionals and self-help organisations in the field of health and raise the awareness                 

What are the aims of EWHNET?

Ø    to make visible the special needs of women in health system and health care

Ø    to identify and promote women oriented

   strategies and models of good practice 

   European-wide

Ø    to interconnect various projects and key

persons in the field of women’s health

Ø    to establish a common platform for a

mutual understanding

Ø    to develop common strategies for a better

consideration of women-oriented practical

       methods in the field of health

 Step for realisation

Ø    political strategies to achieve equity for women

Ø    transnational guidelines for different fields

Ø    theme-oriented workshops focusing e.g. on women, work and health; health promotion for girls at school; women-friendly psychotherapy.

Ø    disseminating of information

Ø    country reports with address-lists of relevant organisations

Ø    transnational meetings

Ø    networking