Protecting Women's Health Internationally

One of the critical areas of concern demanding international attention is women's accessibility to information and health services. The Beijing Platform recognized for the first time a woman's right to decide how many children she will have and when to have them. Each ICJW affiliate is choosing the area of concern most relevant to its immediate needs, and in many cases is joining with like-minded groups to advocate and act for the prevention, control, and elimination of disease in programs for rehabilitation, social services, and health education. They have been encouraged to work for legislative measures to initiate and implement programs to benefit children, youth, the aging, the handicapped, and other groups with specific needs. They are also urging their governments to earmark substantial funding for medical research and education for AIDS.