Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan of the Women’s Health Group of the Academy of Medical Sciences has been developed in support of the importance of women’s health, which encompasses the physical, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of women, that is influenced by the biological, social, political, and economic conditions of their lives. This plan provides a framework for the group’s activities responding to the challenges and needs of women’s health as half of the country’s population, in both the present and the future.

The group’s efforts will focus on addressing all dimensions of women’s health throughout the different stages of life, while considering the impact of social and economic conditions and the status of women in society. With emphasis on the national health system and through a holistic and comprehensive approach, the group aims to foster intersectoral cooperation and interaction to improve policymaking and planning in both the health sector and other social sectors.

Internal Environment Analysis:

Strengths:

• The position of the Academy as the supreme scientific authority in macro-level monitoring, evaluation, supervision, and planning of women’s health.
• The presence of distinguished specialists and researchers in the Women’s Health Group and other groups of the academy.
• The ability to access and utilize information resources on women’s health.
• The potential for collaboration with other national scientific bodies and associations.
• The possibility of establishing connections and cooperation with international scientific institutions.
• Presence of a scientific journal indexed in reputable databases.
• The potential for institutionalized communications with policymakers and executive authorities.
• Availability of resources and facilities for virtual communication, collaboration, and scientific exchange of information.

Weaknesses:

• Little is known about the role and the mission of the Academy within the society and among executive organizations.
• Insufficient use of tools and technology for active participation in virtual scientific environments.
• Limited continuous access to reputable scientific databases.
• Weak gender-sensitive perspectives in the programs of other specialized groups within the Academy.
• Insufficient and inconsistent analysis, awareness, and use of available data and information on women’s health.
• Lack of institutionalized and continuous communication with national authorities in scientific, policymaking, and executive fields related to women’s health.

External Environment Analysis:

• Limited awareness and attention of national scientific experts toward women’s health issues.
• Limited resources for studies and research in the field of women’s health.
• Weak gender-sensitive approaches in health sector policymaking, planning, and program implementation (structure, resources, laws, and regulations, etc.).
• Weak institutionalized information exchange with policymaking and decision-making bodies.
• Lack of awareness regarding the rights and dignity of women in the society and within healthcare and caregiving centers.
• Insufficient attention to women’s physiological characteristics, as well as their multiple family and social roles and responsibilities, in health sector planning and policymaking.
• Weakness of focused and goal-oriented research on women’s health (surveys).
• Absence of a systematic monitoring and surveillance mechanism for women’s health within the national health system.
• Increasing trends in high-risk behaviors among women (obesity, smoking, substance abuse, etc.).
• Growing social, economic, and cultural problems and their impact on women’s health.

Opportunities:

• Existence of the Charter of Women’s Rights and Responsibilities, ratified by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, as a foundational national policy document.
• Presence of ratified policies and structured programs related to women’s health.
• Attention to women’s health within the goals and outlook of the Twenty-Year National Vision Plan, the Vision Document of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the National Master Plan for Science.
• Increasing participation of women in legislative and policymaking positions in the country.
• Existence of policymaking, planning, supervisory, and consultative structures in women’s affairs within scientific and executive institutions.
• Existence of scientific associations related to women’s affairs.
• Presence of women’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and professional associations.
• Increasing number of female students and graduates.

Vision:

• The Women’s Health Group of the Academy of Medical Sciences, as a scientific and advisory authority in the field of women’s health, in line with relevant upstream documents, including the Charter of Women’s Rights and Responsibilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Twenty-Year National Vision Plan, the Vision Document of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the National Master Plan for Science, and the policies and strategies for the promotion of women’s health; in the Islamic Republic of Iran, envisions achieving the highest scientific and advisory status, as well as serving as a monitoring authority in the field of women’s health.
• As a scientific and cultural reference, the Women’s Health Group regards itself as an observatory, guide, advisor, theorist, and policymaker in women’s health. It considers it essential to employ the most advanced, effective, and appropriate technologies, expert human resources, and sufficient resources in order to expand the boundaries of knowledge, enhance education, research, and health services for women. Furthermore, through constructive interaction and institutionalized relations with relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations, and by studying and analyzing the status of women’s health, the group will formulate and propose policies and solutions to improve women’s health.

Goals:

• Advancement of knowledge in women’s health and identification of priorities and needs in women’s health.
• Improvement of policies and programs related to women’s health.
• Promotion of educational, research, and health service programs in the field of women’s health.

Core Values:

In alignment with the goals and ideals of the Islamic system, emphasizing the centrality of healthy human beings and their potential for growth and perfection, and the advancement of medical ethics, the values guiding the activities and programs of the Women’s Health Group are as follows:

• Preservation of women’s human dignity and rights.
• Comprehensive development of women, families, and society.
• Avoidance of poverty, corruption, discrimination, and injustice, and ensuring health security.
• Knowledge-based orientation.
• Meritocracy and role-modeling within Islamic, Iranian, and global communities.

The Women’s Health Group engages in broad scientific, policy, and research cooperation at national and international levels with decision-making, scientific, and executive bodies within the country, as well as with internationally recognized scientific institutions and organizations.

Areas of Focus of the Women’s Health Group:

• Utilization of information and communication technologies to establish virtual and semi-virtual scientific structures in women’s health.
• Attraction of elite scholars and outstanding talents.

Strategic Objectives:

• Addressing women’s health needs and ensuring a gender-sensitive approach in macro-level health sector programs.
• Expanding and coordinating women’s health research and increasing related scientific and technological outputs.
• Ensuring provision of essential women’s health services in line with their priorities.
• Improving women’s health indicators and coordinating the establishment of a national monitoring and surveillance system for women’s health.
• Developing institutionalized relations with scientific, planning, organizational, and information bodies related to women’s health at the national level.
• Expanding cooperation with international scientific, planning, and executive organizations in women’s health and utilizing the successful scientific and practical experiences of other countries.
• Increasing access to reputable national and international databases related to women’s health.
• Enhancing awareness and informing specialists, policymakers, and society about the importance and role of women in community health, as well as the dimensions of women’s health (rights and dignity of women, and the impact of social, economic, and high-risk behavioral factors).
• Increasing the presence of women specialists in higher levels of the health system and benefiting from their scientific and managerial capacity in education and research.