1Management Sciences for Health

Stronger health systems. Greater health impact.

Walking the Talk: Promoting Gender Equity

in Health Systems for Better Health Outcomes

February 15, 2012Belkis Wolde Giorgis

Sr. Technical Advisor, Gender, LMG Project

2Management Sciences for Health

Definition of Gender

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. – WHO

Gender equality in health means that women and men have equal conditions for realizing their full rights and potential to be healthy, contribute to health development, and benefit from the results.

– Pan American Health Organization, Gender Equality Policy

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A Strategic Framework for Gender in the Leadership, Management, and Governance Project

o Today’s WebinaroOverview of the conditions of women

working within health systemso Strategic approaches for mainstreaming

gender into LMG projectso Exploring new approaches to gender

mainstreamingoHighlighting the intersection between

gender and governance

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Gender-related Challenges for Women as Health Care Providers

o Women are less likely to:oHold decision-making and leadership

positionso Women are more likely to:

o Face discrimination based on marital status

oBe expected to conform to male work models

oBe subjected to violence and harassment while working

oBe employed in low- and entry-level positions

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Strategic Approaches for Mainstreaming Gender into LMG Projects

o Examine the health sector work environmento Raise awareness among both men and

women to break negative patterns of gender inequity

o Link gender equity to better health outcomes for all

o Build women’s capacity to lead, manage, and govern

o Utilize gender as a cross-cutting themeo Build the evidence base to support gender

mainstreamingo Analyze governance structure to identify

opportunities and challenges

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Objectives of the LMG Project

Training & Capacity Building

Of men and women to have core competencies in gender in order to decrease biases and stereotypes and promote gender interventions that can change institutional and organizational behavior

Research and Knowledge Exchange

Research on evidence demonstrating the benefits of promoting leadership and management for women (both to increase the numbers and empower women) for better health outcomes

Advocacy and Partnerships

Create partnerships with existing regional and global networks that promote women’s leadership and management and adapt it to the health systems

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Alignment of LMG Project with Global Mandates

“Investing in the health of women, adolescents, and girls is not only the right think to do; it is also the smart thing to do. That is why we are integrating women’s issues as elements of our foreign policy

agendas and in, especially, the Global Health Initiative…”

--Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Remarks on the 15th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development,

January 8, 2010

o GHI: Focus on Women and Girls o MDGs: Goal 3, 4, 5, and 8o PEPFAR: Focus on violence

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LMG Literature Review: Recommendations

o Disaggregate data by gendero Increase access to pre-service and in-service

education and trainingo Review recruitment policies and practiceso Focus on

o Gender equity in managerial and decision making roles

o Compensation equityo Gender differentials in constructing incentive

structures to promote retentions and productivityo Protect the workplace climate, including

combatting sexual harassment and gender-based violence

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LMG Framework for Mainstreaming Gender

• Ensure adequate numbers of managers

Ensure a gender balance in management and leadership positions

• Ensure managers who have appropriate competencies

Include gender awareness and understanding as core competency of

managers and leaders

• Create better critical management support systems

Create management support systems that are gender sensitive

• Create an enabling environment

Create an enabling environment that is safe for women and provides

support for leadership

LMG Strategy to Promote and Mainstream Gender

LMG Strategy to Promote and Mainstream Gender

WHO Recommendations for Strengthening L&M

LMG Strategy to Promote and Mainstream Gender

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Governance cannot be effective unless it has gender equality at its center Governance must lead to a more equitable world,

where women also have choices and their rights are realized. It cannot be effective if there is no understanding of the differing needs of women and men in public spending, policies and legislation. Nor can it be effective if women cannot exercise their right to participate equally in the decisions that affect their lives. In short governance cannot be effective or “good” unless it is gender sensitive. (UNIFEM 2003

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Relationship Between Good Governance and Gender Equity

“Governance cannot be effective or ‘good’ unless it is gender sensitive.”

-- UNIFEM, 2003

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Gender and LMG Principles

Employment and Compensation

Work-Life Balance and Career Development

Health, Safety, and Freedom from Violence

Management and Governance

Business, Supply chain, and Marketing practices

Civil and Community Engagement

Transparency and Accountability

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Gender and LMG

Case studieso Health Extension Program,

Ethiopiao Capacity Project, South Africa

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Case Study: Health Extension Program, Ethiopia

o Innovative leadership and management initiative focusing on training health extension workers (HEW) to reach underserved populationso Trained to:

o Manage operations of health postso Conduct home visits and outreacho Refer patients to health centerso Train volunteerso Survey communities and villages using standardized

toolso Draft health plans

o Focus on:o Community ownership

o HEW work translated into positive health outcomes

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Case Study: Men as Care Providers in Lesotho

o The USAID-funded Capacity Project:o Focused on planning, developing and supporting

the health workforceo Assisted the MOH in strengthening its capacity to

respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic byo Understanding the gendered division of laboro Identifying gender redistributive approaches to

recruit, train, support, and retain men in jobs traditionally considered the province of women

o Women generally occupy lower level cadres, usually in the informal care economy

o Training can mitigate negative stereotypes “Gender redistribution” results in improved health outcomes.

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Thank you!

Questions?

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