Description
Improvement in health remains a challenge for all. However, the problem is more acute for women. There is a disparity between women and men in their ability to gain access to health care appropriate to them. Furthermore, the low status of women in less developed countries has been identified as a major obstacle to development. If women are to gain better access to health services they must be given the opportunity to work in partnership with men at all levels of the health sector, including the highest levels of policy-making. Together they must ensure that women’s specific needs are identified and addressed appropriately.
This book is the result of consensus built up in a series of workshops in different regions of the Commonwealth on what is the most effective way of applying Gender Management System principles and methodology to the health sector. The differing contexts of financial, human and other resources explored in Gender Mainstreaming in the Health Sector will assist other countries in adapting mainstreaming to their own particular circumstances.
This manual has been written to provide support and guidance to policy-makers, planners, non-governmental organisations, institutions and staff working in the health sector.
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Mainstreaming Gender in the Health Sector: An Overview
Gender Equality and Women’s Health
* Moving from Women and Health to Gender and Health
* Practical Considerations in Gender Mainstreaming
a) Developing and implementing gender-sensitive policies
b) Identifying priority areas
c) Mobilising resources for gender mainstreaming
d) Introducing National Women’s Machineries
e) Involving men
f) Taking a dynamic and flexible approach
2. Gender and Health: Clarifying the Issues
* Understanding the Concept of Gender Mainstreaming
* Using Gender Analysis to Define Health Needs
* Gender Inequalities and Women’s Health
Socio-economic factors
Educational factors
Occupational factors
Environmental factors
* Gender Inequalities and Men’s Health
3. Gender and Health: Commonwealth Experiences
* Introduction
* Workshop Objectives and Methodology
Clarification of gender concepts
Developing an understanding of the concept for the GMS
Developing outlines of National Plans of Action for establishing the GMS
* Status of Gender and Health in Commonwealth Regions
Africa
Asia
The Caribbean
Countries with multi-jurisdictional governance
* Critical Issues and Challenges
Critical issues
Challenges
* The Gender Perspective on Priority Setting
4. Establishing the Gender Management System in the Health Sector
* Introduction
* Vision, Mission and Goals
* Objectives
* The GMS as a Management Tool
* The Structures, Mechanisms and Processes of the GMS
The enabling environment for the GMS
GMS structures
Mechanisms of the GMS
GMS processes
* Factors which Hinder the Establishment of a GMS in Health
Lack of gender-sensitive indicators
Male dominance of health research
Lack of gender perspective in medical education
5. National Plans of Action For the GMS in Health: Commonwealth Examples