International Women’s Day is commemorated every March 8 and the theme of its 2023 edition is: “For an inclusive digital world: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” reported the United Nations (UN).
This theme is in line with the priority theme of the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women: “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.”
The United Nations celebration of International Women’s Day recognizes and honors women and girls and women’s and feminist organizations who are fighting for the advancement of transformative technology and access to digital education. International Women’s Day 2023 will explore the effects of the digital gender divide on the growth of social and economic inequalities. It will also highlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing gender-based violence online and that facilitated by new communication technologies.
As expressed in a United Nations statement, “incorporating women, as well as those traditionally marginalized groups, into technology allows for more creative solutions and has greater potential for innovations that meet women’s needs and promote gender equality.” gender".
Their lack of inclusion, on the other hand, comes at an enormous cost. According to UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2022 report, the exclusion of women from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries over the past decade, a loss that will rise to $1.5 trillion. of dollars in 2025 if no action is taken . To reverse this trend, it will be necessary to address the problem of online violence, which, according to a study carried out in 51 countries, 38% of women have personally suffered.
Women’s cardiovascular health
The Argentine Society of Cardiology (SAC) and the Argentine Cardiological Foundation (FCA) warned that although cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death in the country for both sexes, the perception of risk in the population is low, especially in female people.
In 2006 the Heart and Women Area ’Dra. Liliana Grinfeld’ conducted a survey on the perception of cardiovascular disease among women residing in the city of Buenos Aires and AMBA and it was revealed that 53.8% of women considered tumors as the main cause of death and only 20 % considered cardiovascular disease.
In 2021 , the same group repeated the experience, expanding the survey to women throughout the country through the participation of the Regional Districts of the Argentine Society of Cardiology with similar results and in it the discrepancy between perception and reality still persisted: 62% considered cancer as the main cause of death and only 34.9% considered cardiovascular disease.
“These data contrast with the reality of Argentine vital statistics where oncological disease was the cause of death in 17.4% of the population. The gap between perception and reality is likely multi-causal. In recent decades, important biological differences between women and men have been described, as well as differences in responses to stress,” said Dr. Verónica Crosa , doctor specializing in cardiology, Director of the Heart & Women Area ’Dra. Liliana Grinfeld’ of the Argentine Society of Cardiology (SAC).
“We are now beginning to understand the role of genetic, molecular, cellular and physiological factors, including sex and gender, as well as the social determinants of health and the influence of the environment on women’s health. Women are underrepresented in all aspects of research, from laboratory to population research, and this has negatively impacted the implementation of effective measures in health policies. Even the lack of female representation in studies inherently positions data belonging to men as the gold standard,” stated Dr. Roberto Nicolás Agüero , cardiologist, specialist in Nuclear Medicine, Deputy Director of the Heart & Women Area. ’Dr. Liliana Grinfeld’ of the Argentine Society of Cardiology.
For example, the symptoms classically described for heart attack correspond to a male profile and the deep-rooted belief that women present more frequently with so-called atypical symptoms carries an exculpatory background according to which women present themselves in the wrong way .
On the other hand, most studies have not made a clear distinction between gender and sex, basing the definition on sex at birth, excluding the universe of diversity and transgender women from the analysis . "In this scenario, it becomes imperative to improve women’s awareness of their risk, but also to design education strategies in the community of professionals that assist these women, as well as implement health policies aimed at reducing the existing gap," he added. Dr. Crosa.
Recently, certain risk factors for unconventional cardiovascular disease linked more to the female gender have been recognized, such as gender violence, unfavorable socioeconomic conditions and low educational level, which is associated with worse working conditions, motherhood and single parenting with postponement. and neglect of one’s own health.
"As our knowledge improves about the influence that these factors have on women’s cardiovascular health, continuous communication and education will be required from academic spaces to reduce the knowledge gap of health professionals and thus reach the target population,” stated Dr. Agüero.
Recently the American Heart Society (AHA) has outlined a call to action for cardiovascular diseases in women, emphasizing the need to review epidemiology, awareness, evaluate access to health and the provision of medical care equitable. The pillars of this call to action are based on: Raising awareness, Optimizing prevention and clinical care, Supporting research, Engaging communities, Advocating for social determinants of health, Monitoring progress.
