GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S HEALTH CANNOT BE SEPARATED

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) - Gender equality and women's health cannot
be separated because these two areas enable people to understand deeper about
life and health, said Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister,
Senator Heng Seai Kie.

"According to the World Health of Organisation, work on women's health used
to be limited to reproductive health but now it has expanded to a broad range of
health conditions.

"For example, cardiovascular disease was known to be a man's disease but now
it is understood to affect woman in significant ways, at different ages and in
ways that are different to men," she said at the talk on Gender Equality and the
Life and Health of Women, here, Monday.

According to her, this gender-based identification had improved women's
health outcomes in many countries.

Heng said women could not achieve gender equality in life and health without
the cooperation and participation of men.

"Men as heads of the community, family and organisation and as political
leaders often wield enormous powers over many aspects of women's lives.

"It is evident that men's role is important in order to achieve gender
equality," she added.

Heng said education also played an important role in sharing and spreading
knowledge on health and the threats to women's health.