Wednesday, June 25

International Women's Health Symposium - Celebrating 10 Years!

The year 2008 marks the ten year anniversary of the SOGC’s International Women’s Health Program. In celebration and reflection the International Women’s Health Symposium will provide an opportunity to review ten years of important work on the issues of women’s health and safe motherhood on a global level. This past decade has brought advancements but has also highlighted important questions and challenges in protecting the sexual and reproductive rights of all women. The theme of this year’s symposium is: “Who is left out? More Vulnerable Populations and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights”.  Who they are and how their needs are addressed? International experts will discuss the health needs of indigenous women, women living in fragile states such as refugees and internally displaced peoples, adolescents in developing countries and women living with HIV/AIDS. These groups of women face additional challenges in accessing health care services as well as their sexual and reproductive rights. A learning experience for us all, the International Women’s Health Symposium will help us consider new directions for the next decade of protecting women’s lives.

Learning Objectives:

• To gain perspective on the sexual and reproductive health needs and realities of indigenous and aboriginal women, adolescents in low resource countries, refugees and internally displaced persons and women with living with HIV/AIDS.
• To reflect on the past decade of work in the International Women’s Health Program and to identify lessons learned and best practices.
• To consider future directions and strategies for the future of the International Women’s Health Program.
• To learn about challenges facing low resource countries regarding cervical cancer.

Unrestricted educational grants:

• Duchesnay Inc.
• Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)