International Women’s Day

Search Google today? This particular Google Doodle recognizes International Women’s Day, an annual event on March 8th. It is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.?áThe?áfirst International Women’s Day event was run in 1911. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women’s Day is a national holiday.

So beyond the fact that women make up over 50% of the world’s population and 90% of the Library Staff, why should we care? Susan Blumenthal, M.D., Public Health Editor at HuffPost and Former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General, has an excellent essay today reflecting upon the changes she has seen in women’s health. ?áWomen’s Health: Decades Later, What’s Still Neglected.

For example, did you know:

• A Congressional Report in 1990 revealed that only 13 percent of the National Institutes of Health budget was spent on women’s health research
• Until fairly recently in our nation’s history (1993), women were largely excluded from being subjects in medical research and data was not analyzed for sex and gender differences
• Women represent only 12 percent of the Deans of U.S. medical schools, fewer than 27 percent of tenured professors and 13 percent of the over 2070 Departmental Chairs in our nation’s medical schools

The good news is, things are changing. The?áNational Women’s Health?áInformation Center (NWHIC) ?áis available ?áthrough a toll free telephone number (800-944-WOMAN) and ?áat?áwww.womenshealth.gov. It?áprovides consumers, health professionals, and researchers with free information and suport for ?áa broad range of women’s health issues. Changing the Face of Medicine?á is an online exhibit from the NIH which explores?áthe many ways that women have influenced and enhanced the practice of medicine. ?áSo the next time someone asks “Where are the girls?” you can show them.