A new policy brief from the International Labour Organization (ILO) highlights the critical role of social health protection in ensuring women have effective access to quality healthcare and income security during sickness and maternity. Released to mark International Women’s Day, the brief provides practical guidance on designing social health protection systems that better respond to women’s needs and advance gender equality.
Published under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” the brief comes at a time when setbacks in access to health and reproductive services are affecting women in several countries. Despite progress in expanding health coverage in some regions, many women still face financial and structural barriers that prevent them from accessing essential healthcare without hardship.
The ILO emphasizes that social security and health are fundamental human rights. However, even where laws guarantee equal access, labour market inequalities often prevent women from benefiting equally in practice. Women are more likely to work in informal employment, earn lower wages, and carry a disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. These factors limit their access to contributory social protection schemes and contribute to disparities in health outcomes.
To address these gaps, the brief calls for placing gender equality at the core of social health protection policy design and implementation. This includes developing benefit packages that reflect women’s health needs throughout their lives, ensuring services are accessible and available close to communities, and strengthening financial protection through broad risk-pooling mechanisms. By addressing both gender-specific health needs and broader social determinants of inequality, social health protection systems can significantly improve women’s access to care and overall health outcomes.
The policy brief also stresses the importance of supporting women at every stage of life. Beyond maternity protection, women often face heightened risks in old age due to lower lifetime earnings and pension gaps, which can lead to poverty and unmet care needs. Aligning social health protection with income security and care policies can provide more comprehensive support, helping to promote dignity, well-being, and economic security across the life course.
Overall, the ILO’s message is clear: inclusive and responsive social health protection systems are essential to achieving meaningful gender equality and ensuring that women and girls worldwide can fully realize their rights to health and social security.
