Increased attention is being given in medicine to the ways in which women’s bodies are different and react differently than men’s (e.g., female metabolism of drugs, responses to therapies, and differing indicators for heart disease). Yet despite this recognition, disparities in women’s health continue. Furthermore, women and girls are more vulnerable throughout their lifespan to medical discrimination, commodification, and exploitation. In addition to general issues of women’s health, resources on this topic give attention to the intersection of bioethics and violence against girls and women through practices such as sex selective testing and abortion, trafficking, and female genital mutilation; the burdens of child marriage; and maternal and perinatal risks.

Her Dignity Network, a project of the Center’s initiative in global women’s health, connects people and organizations that share a commitment to women’s dignity as human dignity. In addition to more traditional lifespan concerns, Her Dignity Network includes a variety of web-based resources on overlooked issues such as widowhood, disasters, and women with disabilities, at HerDignity.net.