Managing Gender Issues in Health Care

(22-27 June, 2009)

Rationale

Health is a development issue and in general comes about as the product of many factors: biological, psychological, social, political, cultural and economic. The Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) consists of three out of eight goals, eight of the 16 targets and 18 of the 48 indicators relating to health. This confirms the central role of health in development. The MDGs can only be achieved by putting gender equality and equity in the forefront of development agenda. Gender gaps are widespread in access to and control of development resources, in economic opportunities and in power and political voice. Gender bias and inequity exist and operate along many dimensions. Therefore, it seems necessary that female and male vulnerability must be contextualized in this scenario if health professionals are to understand better which social environment proves harmful to health.

Objectives

The broad objective of the program is to promote an approach to health care that recognizes different needs and perspectives within a context of respect for the right and dignity of men and women. The specific objectives are to enhance the participants' ability;

  • Appreciate the concept of gender and its role in health policies and programs;

  • Analyse gender based inequalities in health at various level;

  • Think strategically about gender and quality of health care in the context of various reforms which would synergize improvement in health outcomes; and

  • Develop action plans to implement gender-sensitive policies and programs.

Contents:

The programme will broadly cover the following areas:

  • Linkages between gender, health and development

  • Challenges in managing gender issues in health care

  • Gender analysis frameworks

  • Balancing gender orientation: androgyny

  • Empowering processes

  • Gender mainstreaming

  • Engendering health research

  • Gender budgeting

  • Ensuring delivery of gender sensitive health services(including HR,M&E)

 

Participants

The course is designed for health professionals from developing countries who have been involved in health planning, health financing, managing and generating health resources and those who work for ministries of health, governmental agencies, planning agencies, implementing agencies, public health institutions, non-governmental organisations, and voluntary agencies.

Course Coordinator:

Dr. P. R. Sodani, PhD, MPH (sodani@iihmr.org)

Dr. Sodani is a health economist and public health specialist.  He has obtained PhD in economics from MLS University, Udaipur and Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.  His current areas of interest are health economics and financing, health sector reforms, quality assurance in health care etc.  He has been associated with developing Project Implementation Plans for State Health Systems Development and District Action plan under NRHM for various states in India.