The Women's Health Report was a preliminary study that formed part of the Hospital Report 2001 Series; an evaluation of hospital performance in the province of Ontario using a balanced scorecard framework. The Report reflects the importance of including a women's health perspective in the evaluation of health system performance and the need for increased accountability for equity in access to, and delivery of, care. This paper outlines the methodology that was used to develop the Women's Health Report and highlights important findings from this early stage in the development of performance measurement for hospital care for women in Canada.