The high-level event on Women’s Health, organised by MEP Samira Rafaela, co-organised by EPHA and hosted by UN Women Brussels, brought together policymakers and experts to launch the “Let’s Talk About Our Bodies” manifesto, outlining four key priorities for urgent action at European and national levels to counteract the women’s health gap. This event, held at the UN House in Brussels and online, addressed crucial women’s health issues ranging from physical and mental health conditions to the necessary social and political reforms. 

Director of UN Women in Brussels, Florence Raes, opened the session which was followed by Samira Rafaela presenting the manifesto to European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli. 

The event featured a panel discussion with notable experts on the topic, including Emma Lok (Director at WOMEN Inc), Peggy Maguire (Director General at EIWH), Ffion Storer Jones (Senior Advisor at DSW), Dr. Milka Sokolovic (Director General at EPHA), and Ben Light (Senior Technical Advisor on Health at UNFPA). They discussed various dimensions of women’s health, including recent European election results and it’s potential repercussions for women across the EU and the need for a comprehensive EU strategy for Womens Health.  

* Women – the use of women in this text is inclusive of sex as a biological variable and gender as a social and structural variable across the life course. This includes people assigned female at birth, transgender women, transgender men, and non-binary people affected by the topics covered during the event.