Its 270 participants from 40 countries agreed on the following consensus statement. The Statement sets out six principles to advance women's health throughout the WHO European Region. Finally, it describes six policy mechanisms to strengthen the commitment to women's health in policy reform throughout the WHO European Region. The Investing in Women's Health initiative is guided by six principles. These principles form the basis of an approach to women's health that builds on WHO's commitment to equity, human rights and primary health care.
Women are a key resource to societies.
As the human development index clearly shows, however, no country treats its women as well as its men, or according to women's contribution to the economy. A range of studies by the United Nations and the World Bank clearly show that investments in women yield high returns in the form of faster growth, higher efficiency, greater savings and reduced poverty. Through improvements in women's health, governments can make significant contributions to economic and social development. Investments in women's health are beneficial in their own right. They lead to healthier children, improved household and community welfare, lower health care costs, and greater productivity.