THE FORUM



HEALTH FOR ALL



About




more

Sustainable Development



Focus Areas




more

Vision to Action



Impact




more

INAUGURAL FORUM



Watch the Event




more

INAUGURAL FORUM



Declaration




more

INAUGURAL FORUM



Testimonials




more

the physical and mental health of girls and women is a human right and MUST BE at the heart of a people-centered, planetary approach to sustainable development.



THE FORUM



As the world and its economies become increasingly globalized, it is necessary to think about health in a global context. While there are talks about sustainable development for women’s health, little is mentioned about women’s health for sustainable development.


Other than reproductive medicine, the subject of women’s health has not been presented or discussed as fully as possible around the world. As a result, there is insufficient knowledge within academia as well as at healthcare, public- and policy-maker levels on sex- (biological) and gender (social and Economic) -based disparities, climate change and changing patterns of diseases, and increased conflicts and migration in the prevalence, progression and outcome of numerous diseases and conditions, including non-communicable diseases and mental illnesses. This lack of knowledge not only affects women but also men and the whole of society.


Despite some progress made in women’s health in the last decade, for millions of women and girls throughout the world, the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including access to medicines, vaccines, commodities, equipment, other supplies, comprehensive primary healthcare services, health promotion and disease prevention, still remains a distant goal. In many instances, especially for those living in poverty and populations in vulnerable or marginalized situations, this goal is becoming increasingly remote.


There is an urgent need to promote new thinking on the mechanisms that support innovation in women’s health programs. Further, it is essential to recognize the importance and need of science and technology for development and the critical role of science, technology and innovation in addressing global challenges and in realizing sustainable development to enhance health and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.


The World Women’s Health and Development Forum, aims to advance the health, wealth, and empowerment of women in all of their diverse communities. The Forum is the first international step towards a collaborative approach to women’s health and wellbeing.




Our Mission:



Providing international leadership and coordination to promote and improve the health of women and girls through policy, education, research, and model programs.



FOCUS AREAS



Based on RASIT Executive Director HRH Dr Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite’s collective data resulted over the period of 10 years of research and studies on sex- and gender- differences in illness and health, as well as social- and political- issues concerning women and girls health programs in developed and developing countries and per the recommendations of RASIT's associates, the Executive Board and the Board of Trustees of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) hereby agreed to establish the World Women’s Health and Development Forum as a Center of Excellence.


The World Women’s Health and Development Forum was signed into being in 2012 as an independent international Programme of Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), dedicated to promoting excellence in education and science, and intent on playing an influential role in regional and international women’s and girls’ health and research policy and supports Women development in a wide range of ways.


The main objective of the Forum is to harness the strategies, expertise and resources across the broadest spectrum of policymakers, professionals, civil society and the private sector to move women’s health for sustainable development into the mainstream discourse, and spark sustained public demand for lasting political action in support of SDG3 nexus and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.


The Forum is structured around three pillars:


• Health Economics

Promoting change through leadership development, economic empowerment, education and policy development.


• Health Disparities

Addressing sex- and gender-based health disparities among diverse populations of women by reducing leading causes of illness, impairments, and the premature death of women globally.


• Health Systems and Innovation

Directing women’s healthcare policy development through innovative programme models and promoting women’s health and sustainable development globally.


• Research and Studies

Supporting research and studies conducted at national, regional, and international levels.



The Inaugural World Women’s Health and Development Forum, organised by the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs, aims to advance the health, wealth and empowerment of women in all of their diverse communities.

The Forum was the first international step towards a collaborative approach to women’s health and wellbeing.


Program Agenda
Watch the Inaugural Forum

DECLARATION





The Inaugural Forum, dedicated to “Post-2015 Desired Outcomes,” has identified the main challenges facing countries in developing and enhancing women’s health. It reflected best practices, information-sharing mechanisms and concrete actions for the health and development of women and girls, taking into consideration different needs of different societies and cultures. The Forum also considered initiatives at regional and international levels to increase cooperation and coordination.


The Inaugural Forum Declaration has defined an ambitious, inspiring and concrete “Action Agenda” on women’ s health and sustainable development and produced a global movement comprised of diverse mobilization campaigns, advocacy strategies, partnerships and accountability frameworks.


This Declaration was widely shared by the UN-DESA with UN system, Member-States, global civil society and other stakeholders.



"We, participants in the Inaugural World Women’s Health and Development Forum, call upon all stakeholders, including Member States, the UN system, civil society, the private sector, academia and other relevant stakeholders to..."


THE DECLARATION

Mr. Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Secretary-General





‘Each year, millions of women and children die from preventable causes. These are not mere statistics. They are people with names and faces. Their suffering is unacceptable in the 21st century... After all, investing in women’s health and rights is not only the right thing to do it is the smart thing to do... Working together, we can and will make a life-changing difference for the future of humanity.”


Mr. Sam K. Kutesa
President of 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly





Allow me to congratulate you on the creation of this Forum designed to address the links between women’s health and sustainable development. From the Overview of the programme, with its focus on health economics, health disparities and health systems and innovation, the event promises to yield useful outcomes as a contribution to the discussions on the Post-2015 Development Agenda”.



Mrs. Helen Clark
Administrator, UNDP





"Improving women’s health is a critical element of sustainable development. UNDP’s work in gender equality, alongside its work at the intersection of health and development, remain a high priority. It is a basic human right for women to enjoy full legal equality along with equality of opportunity, and for girls born today, regardless of country, to have the same life prospects as boys. This includes the right to health care and services, including sexual and reproductive health."



Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin
Executive Director, UNFPA





“Women’s Health is essential for the achievement of Gender Equality, the realization of women’s empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. It enables women to benefit fully from education, training and productive work, and to participate in social, political and economic life.”



Mrs. Emine Erdogan
First Lady, Republic of Turkey





“I am confident that this Forum will contribute to global endeavors to improve the health of women and girls, at a time intergovernmental negotiation are being held to identify sustainable development for the 2015-2030 period. I believe that by taking preventive and protective measures, increasing consciousness for women’s health and making health facilities accessible for everyone, it is possible to avoid undesirable circumstances. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) for their contribution and responsible approach towards the issue”.



Ms. Lakshmi Puri
Assistant Secretary-General, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women





"Congratulations for adopting this comprehensive and very important Declaration, I am sure this Declaration will contribute to the next WHO World Health Assembly and will have an important input in the next United Nations General Assembly when world leaders will meet to take action for the Post 2015 Development Agenda... We are here to support this Declaration we adopted and build on it ."



H.E. Prof. Veronika Skvortsova
Minister of Health, Russian Federation





“This Forum discussed different aspects on the important role of women in sustainable development process including health, economic, social and other significant segments... To implement this declaration, important steps are needed at national and international levels starting with World Women's Health and Development Institute, and further collaboration with the United Nations entities and member states.”



H.E. Mrs. Marta Arsovska Tomovska
Deputy Minister of Information Society and Administration, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia





“We have to celebrate what we achieved in this Forum. However, we have a lot to do in the following months and years to deliver and to ensure sustainability of development for women and all human kind. I would like to thank Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite for the energy and dedication to make this world a better place for girls and women."



Hon. Dr. Helena Dalli
Minister of Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, Malta





"This Forum gave us all a very good opportunity for exchange of knowledge and expertise between various nations, various cultures and various ages, particularly when listening to youth speeches. I really appreciate what we learned and achieved together here, and also that the development and empowerment of women is our role together. We need more follow up meetings in order to take concrete steps to implement this Declaration."



Mr. Nikil Seth,
Director, Division of Sustainable, UN





“It is very encouraging this kind of engagement in the United Nations, because it enriches the debate beyond what we hear in the political debates in this great organization. Too many meetings consist of speeches at the UN, and these speeches are important, but all of us has noticed that the participants in this Forum brought not only ideas but brought a certain passion and a deep commitment to the issue of women’s health and development, it is that passion that is sometimes lacking in the great halls of the UN organization. I would like to congratulate Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite and the Royal Academy of Science International Trust for having been able to succeed when others have flopped in the past”.



HRH Princess Dr Nisreen El-Hashemite
RASIT Executive director





"There are a lot of challenges, but the opportunities are more, and we need to take a big leap today rather than tomorrow, for the Future we want... Only together we can make a difference."



Mr. Amir Dossal
Founder and Chairman of Global Partnerships Forum





"This Forum brought together an amazing group of global policy makers and practitioners and inspired the International Community to make a difference for humanity".



RASIT cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the people of the world.



For more than 55 years, RASIT has been an organization with an infinite vision into the future, and will continue this tradition of measureless services for the benefit of mankind.



RASIT Signs MoU with the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs on Women's Health and Development Program.



The National Campaign, to raise public awareness on reproductive health, including infertility: Causes, Methods of Treatment, and Prevention, is the first achievement of this Partnership that began in January 2012. This Campaign aims to disseminate knowledge on the subject to all segments of society, leading to protection and reduce the proportion of infertility and genetic diseases and disabilities birth in the Lebanese society.


The Partnership between RASIT and the Ministry of Social Affairs, also focus on:

1 - implementation of field studies to measure the extent of health, social, psychological and all related problems in the Lebanese society, their effects on the level of health, educational, and social development programs and propose the necessary legislative to improve social services.

2 - raising awareness among women and men in relation to human reproductive health and choices.

3 - improving the national capacity to collect data on the quality of reproductive health, including the diagnosis of infertility service, analyzed and updated on a regular basis, to be taken advantage of the data currently available within the reports belonging to the primary health care services.





MODULE OF LAW



RASIT Sustainable Development Studies Center presented to the President of the Lebanese Parliament HE Mr. Nabih Berri a Module of Law to regulate in the Lebanese Republic fertility clinics and projects involving human embryos, including licensing, inspections and setting standards.


Module of Law - Arabic Language

WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH: WAYS TO MANAGE STRESS



Stress occurs when women feel like the demands placed on them — such as work, school, or relationships — exceed their abilities to cope. It can be a reaction to a short-lived situation, such as being stuck in traffic or late for an appointment, or it can last a long time if they are dealing with work, relationship, money problems, the death of a loved one, or other serious situations.


Research studies showed that women consistently report higher levels of stress than men. It is not clear yet whether this is because women often have more demands on them than men, such as frequently taking on more family responsibilities, or because women experience stress differently. But it’s clear that if women don’t find better ways to manage our stress, chronic stress can have physical and emotional consequences. Stress can cause symptoms such as irritability, problems sleeping, changes in appetite, headaches, stomachaches, intestinal problems, nervousness, excessive worry, and sadness or depression.


RASIT’s fellow experts have been tailoring mental health service based on the women's need and the situation they are facing.


RASIT’s internationally respected mental health professionals also deliver practical and advanced training for local psychologists to help them serve their communities.


Read More

Women’s Health Curriculum and textbook



RASIT has been collaborating with its fellow members qualified pharmacists and the private sector to establish a Women’s Health Curriculum and textbook for university pharmacy educators and students. The Curriculum will allow Pharmacists as well as Students to study how sex differences affect women's health across the lifespan and how they may influence the safety and efficacy of regulated drugs and devices.



Sex (Biological) and Gender (Social-Economic) Differences between Men and Women in Mortality and the Health Dimensions



Not only is a woman's body obviously different from a man's, but each cell in a person's body has a sex. So, it is no surprise that diseases, and the medications and medical devices used to treat them, may affect women differently. Yet the prevention, management, and treatment of many health conditions still often follow the one-size-fits-all approach.


Although the World Health Organization reports clearly indicate the sex and gender differences between men and women in mortality and the Health Dimensions, unfortunately, the International Community still focusing only on the Social and Economic (i.e. Gender) differences only in all its women’s health programs and strategies.


RASIT is addressing sex differences in health at different levels, including encouraging governments to establish policies to include women in clinical research. This allows researchers to study how medications, procedures, and diseases affect women differently from men.


RASIT’s advocacy is also directed towards pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers to reveal how their drugs are safe and effective by sex, age, and race.



Transforming Communities by Enhancing Women's Health



In collaboration with its fellow members qualified in medicine and specialized in fields related to women’s health, RASIT has been conducting community-engaged education and advocacy campaigns to improve the health of women, girls and babies. These campaigns raise awareness, tackle stigma, influence policy and improve outcomes across women’s health.

Led by women’s voices, RASIT also runs awareness and education sessions, on the intersecting issues of environmental health disparities and women’s health and well-being, to build community-based health resiliency by promoting wellness as well as environmental health literacy.



Reproductive Health in Lebanon and Arab States



UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE LEBANESE HOUSE SPEAKER H.E. MR. NABIH BERRI, RASIT organized a high-level panel to discuss the "human gamete market!" in Lebanon and the Arab states.

The Panel discussed for the first time the social, legal, and ethical dimensions of third-party assisted reproduction in Arabic Countries.


Read Report - Arabic Language

Royal Academy of Science International Trust



© All Rights Reserved