As a member of a board that screened applications for abortion, I saw time and again how a woman's perspective and needs were neglected in a process designed and run mainly by men. This realization was the catalyst for my political career, and I have carried this insight with me through all my work. Fortunately, feminism has matured to a level where we no longer confuse gender equality with taking on masculine values and abandoning deeply embedded and much-needed feminine values and concerns. The United Nations international women's conferences, the last in Beijing four years ago, have highlighted the key role of women in ensuring sustainable development. No doubt much of the impetus for this came from the international women's movement, which may be the largest social movement in human history.
Female physicians have much to offer.
Academic medicine and the public would benefit from an increase women's leadership share at all levels. The health of women matters, foremost to women themselves, but also to their families, communities, and societies. Indeed, the health of women is a fundamental pillar of sustainable human development. Dr. Bruntland is Director-General of the World Health Organization. Gender differentials in medical employment patterns in Mexico.