The Wonca Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM) convened in August for a four day gathering of 25 representative women family physicians, clinicians, teachers and health researchers -- from 16 countries and all six Wonca regions -- at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. We had an outstanding experience which surpassed our expectations.

The proud Mission of Wonca is to improve the quality of life of the peoples of the world, through general practice/family medicine. As a worldwide organization of individuals, academic institutions and organizations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians, Wonca has an unparalleled capacity to encourage and effect change at all levels of practice and governance in its member bodies.

Recognizing that the elimination of gender inequality (as well as other violations of universal human rights) is an important prerequisite for human development, including the improvement and achievement of optimal health, in 2001 Wonca endorsed the Beijing Platform for Action in Durban, and in the same year the Millennium Development Goals in Singapore, and also in the same year established the Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM).

During the remarkable gathering held in Hamilton, the many participants carefully prepared and all signed the Hamilton Equity Recommendations (HER Statement). In addition, partcipants completed four priority activities which will be incorporated into the conference proceedings. These include:

• Proposed gender equity additions and amendments to the Wonca bylaws and regulations
• Our women's track programme for the Wonca Triennial meeting in Singapore in July 2007, including three leadership development workshops
• A statement on how Wonca can promote awareness on the vital effects of gender as a key determinant of health

Please share The HER Statement with your organizations, associations, departments and colleagues. The Spanish version is also available.