Women This Week: Gender Health Gap Hindering Global Economy Growth

Women’s Health Linked to Improving Global Economy 

The World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute have jointly published research which suggests that the global economy could grow by at least $1 trillion annually with concerted efforts to improve women’s health. The study found that, on average, women are diagnosed with diseases years later than men—two and a half years longer for cancer and four and a half years for metabolic diseases. It also found that women typically experience poor health for 25 percent longer than men and that there is limited, missing, and inaccurate research into women’s health conditions. Addressing these concerns would not only improve women’s health but have significant economic benefits. Dr Lucy Pérez, a co-author of the report, said, “Many people think that because women live longer, they are healthier, and that’s just not true. On average, women spend nine years of their lives in poor health, and the majority of these are during working age. Many of the root causes are addressable.” 

National Emergency of Femicide in Kenya  

Kenya is facing a rise in gender-based violence. Since the start of the year, at least four women have been brutally murdered in Kenya. One case—that of 26-year-old Starlet Wahu—has garnered significant media attention. Ms. Wahu was allegedly stabbed by a man who is a member of a criminal group known for violently assaulting women they meet on dating sites. People have turned to social media to call for an end to gender-based violence by using the hashtags #StopKillingWomen and #EndFemicideKe. In 2023, Femicide Count Kenya recorded 152 killings—the highest figure in the past five years. According to data from 2022, more than one in three Kenyan women report having experienced physical violence. Kenya’s Azimio la Umoja leader, Raila Odinga, has described the situation as a “national emergency,” and rights groups are calling for more action.  

France to Propose Abortion Access in New Constitution 

This week, the French Assemblée Nationale’s Laws Committee took the first step toward enshrining abortion access in the French Constitution. The committee approved draft language that would offer abortion as a “guaranteed freedom” to women wishing to end their pregnancies. Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, who was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron, said that the language intends to provide “constitutional protection for this freedom, without freezing current legislation nor creating a kind of absolute, unlimited right” to abortion. The constitutional amendment was put forward by President Macron’s minority government and will require support from three-fifths of both the National Assembly lower house and Senate.