The Obama administration on Tuesday worked to further establish women’s health as a priority.

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In a proclamation by the president for National Women’s Health Week, the administration said that women’s health needs to be prioritized.

“Women have guided our country toward prosperity and progress, and our Nation's success depends on their well-being. While women often play a leading role in making medical decisions for their families, their own health care needs have too often gone unmet,” the president said in a proclamation.

The health week is aimed at “advancing gender equality” within health care as part of the president’s Affordable Care Act, which was a part of his larger health care overhaul.

In the new legislation, “we are reversing many of the worst abuses of the health insurance industry. Beginning in 2014, many insurers will no longer be allowed to charge women higher premiums simply because of their gender, and it will be illegal for most insurance companies to deny coverage to women because they have a pre-existing condition, including cancer or pregnancy,” the statement read.

The plans will also require that health plans will cover maternity care as well as ensure women gain coverage for their children.

The leading cause of death for women of all ages and races in the U.S., according to CDC statistics, is heart disease, by 25.1 percent, and cancer by 22.1 percent.