Why are we addressing gender issues in vision loss?

increasing evidence that women are affected by blindness and visual impairment to a much greater degree than men. A systematic review of global populationbased blindness surveys carried out between 1980 and 2000 showed that blindness is about 40 per cent more common in women compared to men (in persons older than 50 years).1 Since then, there have also been a number of large national surveys (for example, in Pakistan and Nigeria), as well as many rapid assessment of avoidable blindness studies (RAABs), which have confi rmed the earlier fi ndings. We now know that being a woman is a signifi cant risk factor for some eye diseases; it is also an important factor in the use of eye care services: • Women account for about 64 per cent of the total number of blind persons globally (a summary value). • In many areas, men are twice as likely as women to be able to access eye care.2