Galvanising Gender Analysis and Practice in Health Systems: Reflections from Research in Gender and Ethics: Building Stronger Health Systems

Gender analysis is an important component for health systems research. It reveals how power relations create inequalities in health system needs, experiences, and outcomes among women, men, and people of other genders.

Incorporating gender analysis into existing programmes can be challenging.

Researchers:

Struggle to understanding the relevance of gender analysis
Assume that a focus on women and girls is the same as addressing gender
Are reluctant to recognise power and privilege within their work
Have poor incentives to incorporate gender analysis

This brief explains some of the ways in which RinGs has responded to these challenges by validating work on gender, clarifying how it can be mainstreamed, challenging power and privilege and nurturing environments for incorporating gender analysis.

The incorporation of gender analysis into health systems research is vital if it is to contribute to DFID’s goal of ‘leaving no one behind’. While challenges are encountered, they can be overcome through continued dialogue, collaboration, and enabling environments within health systems research and practice.

This brief was originally published on the Future Health Systems Website

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