The EMHF is an associate partner in a pioneering new EU health project ENGENDER which held the first meeting of its steering group in Luxembourg last month.
This EU co-funded project will develop an inventory - a documentary database - of good practice examples and propose recommendations for more effective and equitable health policies for women and men. The two year project will conclude with a public hearing in the European Parliament in autumn 2011.
EMHF director Erick Savoye said: ‘the initial steering group meeting really highlighted the valuable contributions EMHF network members could make to the gender awareness of policy makers across Europe.
‘The problem is this: although many policies, practices and interventions to reduce health inequalities are being implemented in Europe and elsewhere, there is, at policy-maker level, a lack of information and knowledge on these promising initiatives and an absence of specific guides to assist policy makers.’
The project will be coordinated by the Karolinska Institute in partnership with nine associate partners with expertise in research, public health, gender issues and health policy:
- Regione del Veneto, Italy
- National Institute for Health Development, Hungary
- Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia
- Maastricht University, The Netherlands
- ‘Public Health Agency’, Latvian state agency
- European Institute of Women’s Health, Ireland
- Swedish National Institute of Public Health
- European Men’s Health Forum, Belgium
- National Institute of Public Health, Czech Republic
Calling on EMHF members to take part Erick Savoye said: ‘the EMHF’s role is to contribute to the population of the inventory and to the development of policy recommendations. As EMHF members with practical experience of successfully engaging men with their health, this is a huge opportunity to raise the profile of your work at a high level.’
Joining Erick Savoye on the project’s steering group is EMHF board member Noel Richardson from Ireland.
