UN foundation issues call for company commitments to workplace women’s health and wellbeing

The United Nations Foundation’s Universal Access Project (UAP) has issued a call for companies to make “tangible” commitments to women’s health, wellbeing and gender equity in the workplace and throughout global supply chains.

UAP, in collaboration with Global Citizen, have promised to support companies in shaping such commitments and connect them with relevant experts, implementing partners, and other resources to make the commitments a reality.

Commitments will be announced at the 2024 Global Citizen Festival, to be held on Central Park’s Great Lawn in New York City on September 28, hosted by Global Citizen ambassador, Hugh Jackman.

“Worker health is a human right and is critical to productive companies, growing economies and resilient communities,” said Dilly Severin, executive director of the Universal Access Project at the United Nations Foundation.

“As we work to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, this is a significant moment to recognise that women in particular face systemic health disparities that are increasingly exacerbated by climate change and other global crises.

Corporations must take effective action now to adopt policies and practices that ensure health and wellbeing, and drive equity.”

Companies have a responsibility to respect worker health as a human right.

A corporate commitment provides a unique opportunity to advance worker health and wellbeing in measurable ways that prevent and mitigate adverse health impacts, particularly for women workers who make up the backbone of global value chains.

The failure to address women’s health disparities could significantly harm the global economy, according to the 2024 McKinsey Insight Report, Closing the Women’s Health Gap, which has found that women spend 25 per cent more time in ill-health than men.

UAP and Global Citizen aim to help companies determine women’s health commitments relevant to their sector and context and help ensure they are measurable and sustainable.

Commitments can take many forms and may include new workplace practices that ensure access to health education, information or services, onsite or off; policies that prevent sexual harassment and violence and expand health benefits for women and their families; and operational changes to ensure a healthy working environment.

Commitments may also entail more public-facing actions, such as supporting health promotion campaigns and joining women’s health-related coalitions or efforts.