In SOGC’s 10 years of experience with the International Women’s Health Program, there have been many lessons learned, one of the most important being the recurring need to address cultural diversity when providing care at the international level. In order to promote excellence in the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology and to advance the health of women in other countries, we need to understand the populations that we are working with and take into consideration the wide range of economic and socio-cultural determinants that affect women’s health and the delivery of quality care. It is in this respect that we present this year’s symposium’s theme as an attempt to bridge culture and medicine in initiatives aimed at improving the quality of care for women. Health experts working in the field will share their experiences, while providing insight on how to implement culturally sensitive approaches within global health development programs. At this year’s International Women’s Health Symposium, we will embrace diversity as we strive to reach a common ground between culture and medicine.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Gain understanding about the cultural barriers that prevent women from accessing the care they need, as well as the challenges that are faced in the transfer of knowledge between professional societies;
• Reflect on the process of negotiating culture in the delivery of quality care;
• Review the achievements and challenges of the past 60 years of advancing human rights across cultures, with respect to sexual and reproductive health;
• Consider future directions and to reflect on the need for culturally sensitive approaches within global health development programs.

Unrestricted Educational Grants

• Duchesnay Inc.
• Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
• The Dr. André Lalonde Permanent Endowment Fund for sponsorship of Dr. Mulu Muleta from Ethiopia to attend the International Symposium as a guest speaker