Online, On-demand.
Women’s health and human rights are deeply interconnected. Around the world, millions of women and girls continue to face barriers to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and personal safety. The online course International Women’s Health and Human Rights, offered by Stanford University and led by Anne Firth Murray, explores these critical issues from a global perspective and highlights practical approaches to creating positive change.
The course provides learners with the knowledge and tools needed to better understand the complex factors that influence women’s health throughout their lives.
A Life-Course Perspective on Women’s Health
The course examines women’s health and human rights from infancy and childhood through adolescence, reproductive years, and older age. Participants explore how social, economic, political, and cultural factors shape health outcomes and influence access to opportunities and essential services. By taking a life-course approach, learners gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges women encounter at different stages of life.
Key Global Issues Affecting Women and Girls
A major focus of the course is the examination of issues that can significantly impact women’s health, well-being, and human rights. Topics include:
- Gender discrimination and son preference
- Access to education and healthcare
- Reproductive health and family planning
- HIV/AIDS and women’s vulnerability to infection
- Gender-based violence
- Women in conflict, war, and refugee settings
- Economic empowerment and poverty reduction
- Sex trafficking and exploitation
- Aging and end-of-life care for women
These topics are explored through real-world examples and case studies from diverse cultural and geographic settings.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
One distinctive feature of the course is its emphasis on active engagement. Participants are encouraged to contribute to international discussions, share experiences from their own communities, and connect academic concepts with real-life situations. Community-based assignments help learners develop a deeper understanding of local and global challenges while fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration.
Led by a Global Advocate for Women’s Rights
The course is taught by Anne Firth Murray, founding president of the Global Fund for Women and former lecturer at Stanford University. Her decades of experience in international health, philanthropy, and women’s rights advocacy provide valuable insights into the realities faced by women around the world and the strategies that have successfully advanced gender equality and health outcomes.
Who Should Enroll?
The course is designed for a broad audience and requires no prior experience. It is particularly valuable for:
- Public health professionals
- Medical and nursing students
- Human rights advocates
- NGO and development workers
- Policy makers
- Educators and researchers
- Anyone interested in gender equality and social justice
Its flexible, self-paced format allows participants to learn at their own speed while engaging with an international community of learners.
For more information and detailed program visit the website.
Published in GI-Mail 06/2026 (English & German edition).
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