E/1999/27 E/CN.6/1999/10 in women’s health. Several representatives informed the panel about modifications to the legal frameworks in their countries, which are beneficial to women’s health. They relate to health insurance, patients’ rights, health-care and social security systems. Progress was noted by several representatives in the collection of health statistics disaggregated by sex and age and the development of gender-specific indicators on health. The next step, as one representative pointed out, is the development of gender-specific indicators on quality of life and social and mental well-being. 12. Special emphasis was put on the importance of mainstreaming the gender perspective into all fields of health. This includes a focus on the role of men and the importance of partnership, in particular in reproductive health. A gender perspective should be integrated into medical education and research. This would also lead to changes in the health sector at the decision-making level, where women are still not a decisive presence. There is a need for more gender-sensitive training, but the unavailability of training materials, trainers and training opportunities represent a serious obstacle to creating greater gender sensitivity among health professionals and policy makers in particular. B. Institutional mechanisms: moderator’s summary 13. At its 7th meeting, on 4 March 1999, the Commission held a panel discussion, followed by a dialogue at its 8th meeting, on institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, one of the critical areas of concern in the Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995). The panellists were Rounaq Jahan (Bangladesh), Senior Research Scholar at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, United States of America; Jaroslava Moserova (Czech Republic), Vice-Chair of the European Integration Committee at the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic; Glenda P. Simms (Jamaica), Executive Director of the Bureau of Women’s Affairs of Jamaica; and Shirin M. Rai (India), Senior Lecturer in Politics and Women’s Studies, University of Warwick, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 14. Representatives emphasized that national machineries, in order to carry out their functions, should be equipped with adequate human and financial resources and be located where they could effectively influence government policy, preferably at a high government level, and where they can be protected from frequent political changes. Staff of national machineries should have good management skills, training and good career perspectives. National machineries should establish strong networks within government and with nongovernmental organizations, the research community and the private sector, and should have access to modern communication technology. 15. Representatives emphasized that in order to work as focal points for the promotion of women and the achievement of gender equality, national machineries should be embedded in the cultural, national and political context of their countries, as this would ensure their sustainability and legitimacy. However, they also agreed that sharing information and good practices beyond borders is crucial for strengthening national machineries. Therefore, national machineries should create or strengthen collaborative links with other institutions at the local, national, subregional, regional and international levels. 16. Many participants in the panel discussion and dialogue recalled that the Beijing Platform for Action identified gender mainstreaming as the main function of national machineries. National machineries should act as catalysts for gender mainstreaming in all policies and programmes. National machineries should support the establishment of gender focal points in all ministries and other decision-making bodies and develop close cooperation with them to ensure effective gender mainstreaming in all sectors. Some speakers emphasized that 53