HERproject: Health Enables Returns | The Business Returns from Women’s Health Programs

Authors

• BSR Staff

  

HERproject health needs assessments have demonstrated that women's health remains a critical area of investment for international companies and their supplier partners. This study seeks to provide a clear business case for such investments.

Why does the business case matter? Most of all, it matters because it helps make women matter to their supervisors, to their peers, and to themselves. If money is saved through the betterment of women's lives, and we're able to prove those savings over time, such findings should create a ripple effect to encourage investments in women's health along global supply chains around the world.
In pursuit of these objectives, this study attempts to examine three main research questions:

1. If a factory implements a health education program and improves on-site health services, will there be a return on investment (ROI to the factory in terms of increased productivity, better use of existing resources, and improved worker morale and management relations?
2. Is the factory an effective venue for expanding women's health services, including access to family planning information and services, and improving health behaviors?
3. Will the factory maintain or expand the program, if there is evidence of increased productivity or improved health services and behaviors?

A summary of results from this study is available in this brief.