GESI reference guide: GESI & Health

The right to health is a fundamental human right encompassing the highest attainable standard of physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease. This right must be enjoyed by everyone without discrimination, and achieving this requires focused efforts to ensure equal and inclusive access, decision-making, participation, systems, and well-being for the most vulnerable. Health programs alone will not achieve development goals if they exclude or treat certain groups unequally. By integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion approaches into health programming, vulnerable groups — such as women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and refugees — can equally access health services, participate in decision-making, and benefit from health-related interventions. World Vision’s GESI approach works to challenge and transform harmful gender and social norms and power imbalances to achieve GESI in all contexts.