Putting women's eyesight first.

Two-thirds of blindness and visual impairment occurs in women, and recent prevalence surveys in Vietnam and China show an imbalance in the coverage of services across some areas. We know that, compared to men, women account for the greater burden of blindness from cataract. Women and girls face numerous barriers in accessing eye care services and  are less likely to utilise them. Understanding gender dimensions is an important aspect of public health and development. In 2009, Gender was the theme for World Sight Day and the focus of articles in this Journal. The World Health Organization  action plan called Universal Eye Health: A Global Action Plan 2014-2019’ prioritises equity and it is clear that we need to do more to improve services for women and girls.