Health literacy as a catalyst for women’s well-being and planetary health

As climate-related health risks increase, such as heatwaves, water scarcity and emerging infectious diseases, there is an urgent need to improve health and planetary health literacy, especially for girls and women. Women can be change agents for communities in low- and middle-income countries, and can boost sustainable practices that can improve their health and that of the environment, says Kristine Sørensen, founder of the Global Health Literacy Academy

In an era where health challenges span from an individual woman’s well-being to global environmental sustainability, health literacy plays a crucial role in shaping the way women navigate and respond to these issues. Health literacy is more than just a person’s individual ability to understand and use health information; it extends to the structural and systemic levels, influencing healthcare organizations and even planetary health. Moreover, health literacy should not be neglected. It is a human rights concern and will help empower people, including women, to live full lives.¹

Health literacy is a foundation for the empowerment of women

Health literacy is commonly understood as the ability of individuals to access, understand, appraise, and apply information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others² (see box). Health literacy is also deeply connected to empowerment, as it enables women to take control over their health, participate in decision-making, and engage with healthcare systems effectively, including those that involve sexual, maternal and menstrual care.^3,4 The impact of health literacy is evident in improved health behaviours and the better management of health across a woman’s life course.²

However, health literacy is not merely a woman’s individual trait; it exists within a broader systems-based framework that involves interactions with healthcare systems, disease prevention and health promotion for better health and well-being, also called organizational health literacy⁵ (see box). From a systems perspective, health literacy is shaped at multiple levels, influencing individual women, community, and societal health outcomes.⁶

An organization that embraces health-literate practices ensures that its systems, services, and communications are designed to be accessible and comprehensible for all populations, including women with limited literacy skills, non-native speakers, and those with disabilities. Importantly, a health-literate organization does not expect women to shoulder the burden of understanding complex health information; rather, it creates an environment where health literacy is supported at every level⁵ (see box). Embracing both an individual focus and the systems-based approach to health literacy ensures health equity and improves overall women’s health outcomes.⁶

Planetary health literacy: expanding the scope of health impact

While health literacy and organizational health literacy focus on individual and systemic levels, planetary health literacy extends the conversation to a global scale. Planetary health literacy refers to the understanding of the interconnections between human health, including women’s health, and the health of the planet⁷ (see box). It emphasizes how environmental degradation, climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss directly impact human well-being. Thus, essentially, planetary health literacy is a critical component of health resilience, allowing individual women and communities to recognize climate threats and respond effectively.

Facing the blind spot of women’s role in the promotion of planetary health

Nowhere is the planetary health challenge more evident than in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where women face disproportionate health risks due to their vulnerability to climate-related events.⁸ As climate-related health risks increase, such as heatwaves, air pollution, water scarcity, and emerging infectious diseases, there is an urgent need to enhance public and organizational awareness of planetary health.⁹ Particularly, there is a pressing need for recognizing the role of women and empowering them as change agents with regards to climate change since they play a vital role in food production, water management, and caregiving.⁹ If equipped with health literacy, particularly planetary health literacy, they are enabled to implement sustainable practices that can improve both their health and the environment. 

Empowering women to improve planetary health literacy and sustainability

Several initiatives effectively support the development of planetary health literacy by integrating environmental conservation with women's empowerment. These can serve as a wake-up call to nations considering ways to centre women in adaptation to climate change.     ​

Eco Femme is a women-led social enterprise in Tamil Nadu, India, producing organic, washable cloth pads. Established in 2010, Eco Femme aims to provide affordable, plastic-free menstrual products while promoting sustainable menstruation practices. By conducting educational workshops on menstrual health practices and environmental impacts, Eco Femme enhances women's awareness of ecological issues, contributing to planetary health literacy.¹⁰ Further, around 500m women around the world do not have access to appropriate menstrual supplies and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management. A situation expected to worsen with increasing climate events, as well as supply chain and access challenges.¹¹     

Another impressive initiative is the Green Belt Movement in Kenya. Founded in 1977 by Professor Wangari Maathai (the first Black African woman to win a Nobel Prize), it is a grassroots organization that empowers women through tree planting and environmental conservation. It addresses deforestation, soil erosion, and water scarcity by mobilizing women to plant trees, thereby restoring ecosystems and enhancing their livelihoods. This initiative not only improves environmental conditions but also educates women on sustainable practices, fostering planetary health literacy.¹²      

An initiative that has global reach is the Women Leaders for Planetary Health. This organization develops women's leadership in the evolving field of planetary health, improves women's health, and safeguards a clean environment to leave no one behind. The mission is to bridge the gaps between environment and health policies through solutions that involve women. The organization offers online training courses on ‘Planetary Health and Gender Equality’ as well as on ‘Women’s Leadership in Planetary Health’. Pioneering research, advocacy and training in a rapidly expanding field, this initiative is committed to providing innovative planetary health information and promote planetary health with the help of visionary social eco-entrepreneurs.¹³ 

​These local and global initiatives exemplify how integrating environmental stewardship with women's empowerment in LMICs can enhance planetary health literacy, leading to sustainable development and improved community health outcomes.

Promoting planetary health literacy for all

Despite the clear links between climate change and women’s health, education on planetary health remains lacking, particularly in LMICs. Promotion of planetary health literacy for all would require a wider social, political and economic investment in several ways.

First, although 122 million girls remain out of school, gains have been made over the last two decades to ensure girls have access to education.¹⁴ The integration of climate and health education into school curricula to ensure that girls and young women are taught about climate resilience, sustainable practice, and health protection, earlier in their lives would help strengthen the resilience of themselves and the communities that they live in. 

Second, it would need to take into account the role of local communities, including their women leaders, to establish community-based health programmes on climate change’s impact on health considering local cultural wisdom.               

Third, it would need to involve governments and NGOs in women’s education on climate and health, including investments in digital health literacy and mobile health to stimulate the use of real-time climate-related health information. For example, this could include early surveillance and warnings to women on floods and heatwaves that may impact their access to sexual, maternal and menopausal care. 

Finally, the implementation of gender-inclusive climate strategies and national action plans are needed. These would engage women in decision-making processes related to climate adaptation and health policies with a recognition of their role as stewards of planetary health and implementers of climate action plans.

Conclusion

In the light of the present complex health and environmental challenges, health literacy in all its dimensions has never been more important. Whether at the level of an individual making informed health choices, a healthcare institution improving communication and accessibility, or a society working towards a healthier planet, health literacy serves as a unifying force for female empowerment and positive change. A future where health is prioritized at all levels—personal, organizational, and planetary—is a future where women as well as their communities thrive and contribute to better health and well-being for all.

Dr. Kristine Sørensen is a highly-cited, award-winning, thought leader in the field of health literacy. She is the Founder of the Global Health Literacy Academy, Executive Chair of Health Literacy Europe and the International Health Literacy Association of which she was the first president. She has provided trusted advice to the World Health Organization, the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the Global Self Care Federation. As an executive advisor she empowers leaders to improve health literacy by design. She is also a visiting lecturer at the Centre of European Studies at the Maastricht University and at the MCI Management Center in Innsbruck. She has an educational background in public health science and works with governments, industry, academia and civic society to develop health literacy for all. She received the European Health Award 2012 for the societal impact of a major European Health Literacy study and the International Health Literacy Award 2017 for setting up the International Health Literacy Association.