Gender disparities in the sphere of health are the direct consequence of gender dis crimination in other spheres of social well-being. Thus, any policy targeting women's health must recognise that women's health outcomes are invariably linked to other aspects of their lives and to their unequal social positions. However, current 'utero centric' policies fail to recognise that women's health, including reproductive health, is inextricably linked to gender inequality. Considering women's health in isolation leads to an improper understanding of the issue, and, therefore to clumsy and in effective policy planning. This paper recommends a comprehensive women's health policy based on a life-cycle approach to significantly improve the health status of girls and women.