WHAT is being done to support the health and wellbeing of women and girls in Jersey?
Scrutineers will be asking this question of the Health Minister at the end of the month during a hearing, which will focus on current services available, gaps in provision and funding and progress made following reviews.
The 30 April hearing, organised by the Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel, comes after a Public Health report released in December revealed “systemic gender inequalities” across key areas – including income, mental health and childcare – putting females at “a greater risk” of poor health.
The government last year dropped plans to develop a dedicated Women’s Health Strategy due to “resource constraints”.
Scrutiny panel chair Deputy Louise Doublet said the public hearing was a chance to hold Health Minister Tom Binet to account on this decision, and to understand how the government now intends to respond to the issues raised in the report.
“Our health system belongs to us all and it must serve us all in the best way it can,” said Deputy Doublet. “However, evidence suggests that it historically has been more accommodating towards men’s health needs.”
She added: “The Women’s Health and Wellbeing report suggests women and girls in Jersey face several barriers when it comes to their care. These include dismissive and misogynistic attitudes and limited access to specialists. This, along with the government’s decision to halt progress on a women’s health strategy, has prompted plenty of social debate.”
Deputy Doublet said it was important that the government listened to the experiences of women and girls and acts on the evidence it has.
She added: “Women and girls account for more than half of Jersey’s population. We know from global research that while women live longer than men, they spend a significantly greater proportion of their lives in ill-health.
“The panel wants to know how the minister and his team will use the findings and data from this report to better support women and girls, and ensure their needs are being met in future.”
Where and when?
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The hearing will take place at St Paul’s Centre on Wednesday 30 April from 12pm to 2pm.
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Members of the public are encouraged to attend, with the panel available from 11.30am to speak with Islanders before the session begins.
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The panel has also called on Islanders to submit their own questions for the health minister and his team. These can be emailed to scrutiny@gov.je by Wednesday 23 April.
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