The UN General Assembly acknowledged that gender discrimination had serious adverse effects on the health of women and established an international bill of rights for women. The Convention, ratified by 161 countries as of January 1998, legally binds signatories to eliminate discrimination against women in the fulfilment of all civil, political, economic and cultural rights. Article 12 specifically relates to health, and the elimination of discrimination and promotion of equality for women in health care. This first UN document to emphasise a women's right to enjoy health, urged governments and the United Nations to give priority to the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by women. This event established that religion, culture and tradition cannot be used to deprive women from exercising their human rights.
Women have a right to control all aspects of their health including fertility.
G ender and Health Health has been defined by WHO as a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity 2 . This statement makes it clear that societal and human relations have a direct effect on health. These factors should therefore play an important role in the delivery and focus of health care. A pivotal result of the activities of the above mentioned conferences was an understanding by governments that women are discriminated against at many health sector levels. This increased awareness has accelerated a shift from a strictly women's health focus to a 'Gender Perspective'.