12 July 2023
Global Health 50/50 has just launched its sixth annual report, Workplaces: Worse for Women. GH5050’s 6th annual report finds workplaces are worse for women due to little or no consideration of how women’s health – such as periods, menopause and fertility – needs to be supported by dedicated workplace policies and practices.
Click Here to Access The Report
This year’s GH5050 Report focuses on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the workplace. This includes assessing SRHR policy issues that may impact women’s entry, participation and advancement in the workplace.
MPP remains a “very high performer” and one of the highest-ranked agencies out of 197 global health organisations in the 2023 Global Health 50/50 report.
“When I was about 46, I nearly left the workforce,” shares Jane Caldwell, Head of Operations and Resources at Medicines Patent Pool in the report. Jane found herself battling debilitating symptoms of perimenopause that shook her confidence in her own intellectual abilities and made her question her future career. Inspired by her personal experience, Jane took the initiative to introduce a comprehensive menstrual and menopause policy in her previous workplace. However, when she announced it at an all- staff meeting, a wave of giggles rippled through the room. Jane firmly believes that this kind of stigma is one of the most significant barriers to achieving gender equality.
Jane passionately explains, “A crucial purpose of menstrual and menopause policies is to normalise and prioritise these experiences. By doing so, organisations send a clear message that they value and address these issues as significant and important matters.”
When asked about advocating for similar policies in other workplaces, Jane suggests that “ the power of facts cannot be overstated. If an oranisation’s management genuinely cares about women’s careers and gender equality, this is one of the most vital considerations to attract and retain female talent.”
MPP will be introducing a menopause and menstruation policy this year.
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The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 22 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, a post-partum haemorrhage medicine, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 16 COVID-19 technologies.
MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Government of Flanders. MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and SDC.