UNFPA Urges Businesses to Invest in Women's Health for Economic Gains

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Asia-Pacific urges businesses, especially in labor-intensive sectors like garment manufacturing, to invest in women's sexual and reproductive health. Highlighting economic benefits, UNFPA encourages the use of their Return on Investment Tool to demonstrate financial returns. Programs in various countries support this initiative.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Asia-Pacific has made a strong appeal to businesses in the region to prioritise investments in the sexual and reproductive health and rights of their female employees, particularly in labor-intensive sectors such as garment and textile manufacturing.

This call comes just ahead of Sexual Health Day, spotlighting the significant economic advantages that such investments can bring to firms.

''Millions of women working in the garment and manufacturing sectors across Asia and the Pacific are young, often migrants from low-income families with limited access to healthcare and education. The lack of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services further aggravates these challenges, impacting their health, job retention, and productivity,'' the UNFPA highlighted in a statement.

According to UNFPA's Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Pio Smith, businesses that invest in the well-being of their staff are positioning themselves for long-term economic success. ''The data is clear: when women's sexual and reproductive health needs are met, businesses experience significant financial rewards, creating a mutually beneficial scenario with increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, and higher employee satisfaction,'' asserted Smith.

To aid businesses in gauging the financial benefits of such investments, UNFPA has introduced the Return on Investment Tool (ROI-T), which provides a structured framework for evaluating the financial returns of investing in workplace sexual and reproductive health and rights.

UNFPA cited examples of its initiatives, which include training 75 companies in the Philippines to offer family planning sessions for female employees, developing gender-based violence awareness resources in Sri Lanka's largest lingerie factory, and collaborating with Bangladeshi garment manufacturers to ensure workers have access to essential health services.

(With inputs from agencies.)