Tag Archive for: policy

Empowering Change: Celebrating the International Day of Action for Women’s Health

Authors: Tanvi Puri, PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia & Bonnie Lee, PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia/CAMH | Editor: Romina Garcia de leon (blog coordinator)

Published: May 28th, 2024

The International Day of Action for Women is celebrated annually on May 28, and is dedicated to raising awareness of and advocating for women’s health and rights. This day was first observed in 1987, and aims to advocate for women’s reproductive rights, highlight healthcare disparities faced by women, raise awareness about gender-based violence, and promote sexual health and rights. 

One of our key missions at the WHRC is to advocate for the improvement of women+’s health research and policy. Members of the WHRC have dedicated their time and expertise to advocating for women’s health by testifying before the Canadian Parliament (more details linked below). Several Cluster members were invited by the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Health to appear as part of a panel of witnesses in view of its study of women’s health, with a focus on mental health. Dr. Liisa Galea highlighted the importance of recognizing the importance of studying female-specific factors affecting health, and recognizing sex differences in medical research to ensure tailored and effective healthcare treatments. Dr. Catriona Hippman called for increased awareness and access to genetic screening and counseling services, particularly for individuals with a family history or disease risk. Dr. Tina Montreuil spoke about the urgent need to increase support and resources for perinatal mental health services, and the significant impact of mood disorders and anxiety during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Their testimonies emphasize the breadth and urgency of critical issues facing women’s health. You can view the meeting details and video recordings here for April 11 (Dr. Liisa Galea) and here April 8 (Drs. Catriona Hippman and Tina Montreuil).

One of our Senior Cluster Leads, Dr. Liisa Galea, and Cluster members Dr. Laura Gravelsins and Tallinn Splinter, also submitted a policy brief to the House of Commons highlighting the chronic underfunding and undervaluation of women’s health research on behalf of the WHRC and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. They note that although women live longer than men, they do so with more chronic diseases and mental health conditions, and points out that the lack of effective research on women’s health variables leads to delayed diagnoses and suboptimal treatments for women. They call for dedicated funding, specialized peer review committee, and mandatory training in sex and gender-based analysis to bridge the knowledge gap and improve health outcomes for everyone. In addition to advocating for women’s health research to parliament, the WHRC supports and showcases the publication of scientific peer reviewed articles as well as other knowledge mobilization initiatives. A recently published article about the disparity in women’s health research funding can be found here and Dr. Liisa Galea’s op-ed in the Toronto Star can be found here. 

Dr. Wendy Norman, another member of the WHRC, has contributed extensively to sexual and reproductive health research and policy. She plays an important role in leading public health initiatives and using evidence-based practices that work to enhance access to contraceptives and abortion, and development of reproductive rights, particularly in underserved and rural communities. Dr. Norman is also involved with the education and training of healthcare providers, and her research findings have informed healthcare practices worldwide. Initiatives like those led by Dr. Norman have informed policy decisions and paved the way for the recent momentous decision for the federal  government to make contraceptives free across Canada in 2024.

Small individual actions by community members can snowball and make a significant impact! Here are a few things you could do to make a meaningful contribution to advancing women’s health: 

  • Advocate for policy change by signing local petitions, writing to your MLA, or vote in support of research funding, improved maternal and fetal healthcare, and increased access to reproductive health services. 
  • Volunteer to participate in research studies, or share calls that others might be able to participate in that you don’t qualify for. 
  • Share information about women’s health issues on social media, or participate in community events and awareness campaigns.
  • Support and donate to women’s health organizations such as the Women’s Health Research Institute, Planned Parenthood, or local women’s clinics.

There is a desperate need to grow the discipline of women’s health research to overcome the concerning gaps in knowledge that jeopardize women’s health. Please donate today to catalyze women’s health research worldwide. Your gift will support:  

  • Publications, education and academic opportunities that will enable groundbreaking knowledge translation to help transform women’s health on a global scale
  • Vital advocacy efforts to change the policies and practices that are impeding women’s health research

Happy International Day of Action for Women’s Health 2024

May 28 is International Day of Action for Womens’ Health. This day was first observed in 1987, and aims to advocate for women’s reproductive rights, highlight healthcare disparities faced by women, raise awareness about gender-based violence, and promote sexual health and rights. 

The Women’s Health Research Cluster is committed to empowering and advancing women’s health research. To honor the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, we are celebrating the strides the Cluster and its members have taken to advocate for the funding, prioritization, and advancement of women’s health research. Small actions together can make a significant difference by raising awareness and driving policy changes, and we encourage individuals from all walks of life to make their own meaningful contributions to this movement! 

Learn more about our advocacy work and find ideas on how you can get involved in our blog post.

Canadian food programs and policies: the role of social media in promoting eating for body shape


Author: Alysha L. Deslippe, MSc, Doctoral Student, Human Nutrition, University of British Columbia | Editors: Negin Nia and Arrthy Thayaparan (Blog Coordinators) 

Published: January 14th, 2022

Editor’s Note: This story discusses diet culture, eating disorders, and harmful food habits. If you or someone you know is struggling, call 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit NEDIC.

No programs or policies exist in Canada that address how social media may impact the relationship between eating and body shape. A review in 2016 found that social media plays a large role in our relationship with food, and often not a positive one. As eating habits track forward, Canada’s food guide suggests supporting teens’ development of healthy eating habits. Teen girls in particular may face unique pressures on eating through their social media use.

Body shape can influence teen girls’ food choices

Researchers like Dr.Vartanian suggest that we alter the type or amount of food we eat to manage other people’s expectations. This includes historically pressures on women and girls to be thin. To address this, Dr. Vartanian suggests lower-calorie foods (e.g., salad instead of a double hamburger) or less foods (e.g., small fries versus large fries) are consumed. Teen girls as young as 13-15 years of age have also  shown evidence of this. In an experiment where researchers watched what teens ate with a friend, girls ate less and chose healthier foods compared to boys. Another study in Canada found a link between eating less and body concerns using one-on-one interviews. Researchers individually interviewed a teen (13-14 years) and one of their parents. Forty-six percent of interviewed parents expressed concern that their daughters were decreasing how much they ate to control body shape. Parents in this sample did not express this concern for their sons. Instead, parents put pressure on their sons to eat more to gain size. As teen girls undergo physical changes in body fat distribution with puberty, they may be more vulnerable to historical pressure to be thin around this age. 

Social media can harm the relationship between food and body shape in teen girls 

When children enter their teens, their use of social media goes up. For example, in a study looking into app use, 96% (97/102) of 12–16 year-olds and 100% (63/63) of 17-18 year-olds used social media. Instagram and Snapchat platforms are often reported as the most used. In a study looking at social media use (including Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Tumblr) and eating in Australia, 68% of the 534 girls from grade 7 and 8 involved said they had an Instagram account. A further 59% reported having Snapchat. The girls self-reported what social media accounts they had and if they used any ‘disorder eating practices.’ Dietitians of Canada suggest that disordered eating practices can harm health and well-being. Some examples of these eating practices include binge eating, eating only in secret, skipping meals, restricting food intake or excessive exercise to make up for eating. 

In the study above, looking at links between social media use and eating, the Australian researchers found that girls’ use of social media platforms was related to harmful eating practices. For example, using Snapchat and ‘meal skipping’, ‘eating little food’, ‘following a strict meal plan’ or ‘strict exercise plan’. Using Instagram was linked to ‘skipping meals’ and having a ‘strict exercise plan’ as well. The other two social media platforms (Facebook and Tumblr) investigated were also related to girls’ reports of ‘following a strict exercise plan’. The researchers suggest that this implies that both images of very thin or very fit folks, common on social media regardless of platform, can have a  negative impact on teens eating. This matches work from other countries too. 

We need more research to guide food programs and policies targeting social media use in Canada

Clear guidelines for Canadian food programs and policy are needed to address how social media can shape relationships between body shape and eating in teen girls. Some researchers have called for programs or policies focusing on media literacy. This approach focuses on helping teens identify unrealistic body shape standards. This may be an effective approach, but we need more research in the Canadian context first. Little work has explored how social media use impacts Canadian teen girls’ eating choices. Instead, a 2016 review revealed that most work looking at social media and eating comes from the United States or Europe. We also need to understand how teen girls’ experiences with social media may differ from other gender groups. This includes boys, or teens who identify as transgender, gender fluid or bi-gendered. Programs and policy will need to account for these differences to ensure that all Canadian teens, regardless of gender, receive support to eat free from pressures of body shape.