Experiences of The Network: Towards Unity for Health Women and Health Taskforce

Women's health is an often neglected component of health professions education despite the well-documented need to improve the health status of women, especially in low income countries. This paper was written on behalf of all members of The Network: Towards Unity for Health Women and Health Taskforce (WHTF) which unites leaders in women's health and higher education from different countries around the world. The WHTF objectives include teaching health providers the skills and knowledge necessary to improve care to women; encouraging universities to partner with community women's groups; promoting the inclusion of women's rights and gender issues in curricula; and cultivating leadership among female health professions students.

The main goal of the paper is to provide an overview of the collaborative processes, the accomplishments and the lessons learned in this project since the early 1990s. It includes the history and evolution of the Taskforce; the importance of human rights and gender issues in approaching women's health; teaching tools--the Women and Health Learning Package (WHLP); implementation of WHLP in health professions education and community settings; and main outcomes and future challenges. The WHLP was implemented in fourteen universities and seven university community programs. A new edition of WHLP will be available in 2009.

The WHTF is a model of south-south collaboration in health professions education and community programs to improve women's health. It has been successful in reaching universities and communities all over the globe and provides a model for other education, health and community issues.