World Health Organization

Gender has implications for health across the course of a person’s life in terms of norms, roles and relations. It influences a person’s risk-taking and health-seeking behaviours, exposure to health risks and vulnerability to diseases. Gender shapes everyone’s experience of health care, in terms of affordability, access and use of services and products, and interaction with healthcare providers.

Gender intersects with other factors that drive inequalities, discrimination and marginalization, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, age, geographic location and sexual orientation, among others.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment can improve health. Women and girls often face greater barriers to health information and services due to cultural gender norms such as economic dependence, patriarchal structures and a greater share and burden of domestic roles and responsibilities. They often have limited influence over resources within the household and in society, while having greater needs for services, such as reproductive services.

While it is important to address women’s specific health concerns, men are also faced with rigid gender norms associated with poor health outcomes. Traditional expectations of masculinity increase men’s vulnerability to serious health risks and make them less inclined to seek health care when needed. Gender diverse persons frequently face stigma and discrimination in the society and in health care settings. They are at greater risk for physical and sexual violence, and as a result have an increased risk for mental and physical ill-health.

WHO works to challenge gender stereotypes and combat gender inequality; identify and eliminate gender-related barriers to healthcare; and implement gender-responsive and -transformative programmes and policies to ensure health equity and universal health coverage.