MoWA recognizes that gender inequalities are responsible for most women’s health issues and that poor health and HIV/AIDS delivery systems have a higher negative impact on women than men. There is therefore growing commitment among stakeholders in the health sector that strategies to improve health delivery and Health Equity Funds should be gender focused in order to increase their impact on women’s lives and achieve gender equality.
During the Fifth Legislature, the RGC will continue implementing and updating the Health Sector Strategic Plan (2008-2015) to promote sustainable development of the health sector, aimed at improved sanitation, health, nutrition and well-being of the Cambodian people, particularly the poor and vulnerable (including women and children). MoWA will provide the MoH GMAG with technical support to analyze remaining gender gaps, and advocate for and initiate changes, where required. For example, IEC for reproductive health, HIV and malaria have been part of MoWA’s work program in the past, but they should be integrated into the MoH portfolio. Programmatic interventions would ideally be handled by MoH, with the role of MoWA moving to increasing social accountability and raising awareness among women and girls about their entitlements to services and social protection, and monitoring their access to these services.
MoWA will continue to work with the National AIDS Authority to promote gender equality in the implementation of the 4th National Strategic Plan for Comprehensive and Multi-Sectoral Response to HIV/AIDS (2011-2015) and the development and implementation of the 5th National Strategic Plan (2016-2020).
MoWA will continue to contribute to the development and implementation of the National Strategy on Food Security and Nutrition (2014-2018).