Women’s Access to Health Services and Health Education through Technology

Category:

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Sub-Category:

Sub-Category: GENERAL – HEALTH

Resolution Number:

700.20.35

Background:

BACKGROUND:Innovation and technology in the field of women’s health are one of the few areas where there has been huge advancements in the past decades, and significant changes have occurred because of the COVID pandemic. Much more needs to be done because progress in technology alone does not ensure widespread access or equal access for all women (World Health Organization, 2021).
Technology today dominates all aspects of our lives, particularly access and delivery of services in health and health education (Mullins, 2022). In Canada, the majority of nurses, social workers, mental health professionals, and pharmacists are women (Canadian Pharmacists Association, 2019). Updated health research is continually being published on the internet (Pifer, 2021). Broader internet access and cell phone usage have changed how health care is practiced and how health information is obtained. Telemedicine and mobile clinics have expanded access and medical assistance for women that were previously unavailable, particularly in rural areas (Pifer, 2021). New technology is not readily available in rural, remote, Indigenous communities and under-serviced areas without reliable internet and, access to mobile phones or computers (Nguyen et al., 2021).

Canada’s Digital Charter, created by the federal government, includes the principle of universal access, promising all Canadians equal opportunity to the digital world. Despite this Charter, Canadian women experience a divide where many communities are left without access to high-speed internet. This divide exists in our country, separating many rural and Indigenous women from accessing digital literacy and skills training opportunities. Canadian women, especially marginalized women, have been struggling with inflated wait times at hospitals, closed emergency departments, and reduced access to health care workers (Speer, 2018). The Canada Health Transfer funds continue to increase to address immediate pressure on the health care system (Speer, 2018) in support of the principles of the Canada Health Act.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW Canada) urges the Government of Canada and relevant ministries to: 1. Ensure internet access and connectivity, public access to computer literacy, and skills training to remote locations, Indigenous communities and under-serviced areas as per UN CSW67 Technology and the Digital Gender Divide Agreed Conclusions V1.0 Sections: 13,19, 24, 25, 26, 37; 2.Ensure health care transfers have standardized service requirements across the provinces and territories to include access to mental health, reproductive health, virtual health care, etc.; 3. Mandate a reporting process from provinces and territories to the federal government that measures data on:
a. Service to marginalized groups, Indigenous women, childbearing women, disabled women, 2SLGBTQI and elderly women and especially women living in rural, remote, Indigenous communities and underserviced areas;
b. Access and delivery of crucial health and health education services without financial or other barriers including technical infrastructure and access to medical doctors, nurses and other health care professionals, including virtual health care services; and
c. Service gaps especially in mental health, substance use disorders and reproductive services; and FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that BPW Canada urges the Government of Canada to ensure federal ministries work in partnership with provincial and territorial counterparts to implement the required digital infrastructure and define and monitor health care delivery standards.