Equal rights equal opportunities.... 

The theme for International Women's Day this year: "Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all" re-emphasizes that equal rights and opportunities lead to improved health outcomes for women and girls.

Discrimination towards women and girls, or what is known as gender-based discrimination, is one of the most pervasive human rights violations. It severely limits the ability of women, girls and the communities they live in to protect and promote their health.

Gender-based discrimination is irrevocably connected to negative health outcomes for women and girls. Its associated poor health outcomes are often compounded by other forms of inequality related to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation or geographical location. While these challenges are imposing, and often encoded in "normalized" ways of living, International Women's Day renews our commitment to denounce violations in human rights and to challenge unequal systems, structures and practices that perpetuate health inequalities across the world.