On 5 March 2026, WHO/Europe will host a special online event to mark International Women’s Day 2026, under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls”. The event is open to the public, and anyone can register at the following link.
At the heart of the event is the principle that women’s right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is not a sectoral issue, but one that is central to equitable, resilient and sustainable societies.
Women represent 51% of the population in the WHO European Region. Yet across the Region, persistent – and in some contexts widening – health inequities continue across the life course. Women spend a greater proportion of their lives in poor health.
From sexual, reproductive and maternal health to noncommunicable diseases, mental health, ageing and access to care, women face unique and often overlooked challenges shaped by biological, social, economic, cultural, commercial and environmental determinants of health. Women and girls in all their diversity continue to experience gender inequality and discrimination that puts their health and well-being at risk.
The Region has the highest levels of gender equality globally. However, no country has fully achieved the equality targets set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Gender inequalities in income, access to financial resources, access to education, access to employment, working conditions, social protection, as well as violence and discrimination against women, continue to negatively impact women’s health throughout the life course.
Violence against women remains one of the most insidious barriers to health and well-being. Nearly 1 in 3 women experience physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime, most often by an intimate partner. Yet fewer than 40% of countries in the Region have adopted the minimum WHO-recommended health service policies for post-rape care.
Under the Second European Programme of Work (EPW2) 2026–2030, WHO/Europe’s Special Initiative calls for urgent action to strengthen health sector leadership in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls and to support their right to health.
About the webinar
The event is open to the public and you can register by clicking the “register” button at the bottom of this page.
Ten years after Member States endorsed the Strategy on Women’s Health and Well-being in the WHO European Region, this high-level webinar provides a platform to assess progress, identify persistent gaps and catalyse coordinated action.
WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, will open the event, followed by a series of interventions and panel discussions featuring representatives from, among others:
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF);
- United Nations Programme for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women);
- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA);
- European Institute of Women’s Health; and
- ministries of health of Albania, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova and Spain.