Introduction

What is gender mainstreaming? 

The UN Economic and Social Council defines gender mainstreaming as the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes in all areas and at all levels. It is a concept that recognizes the importance of considering gender in roles, expectations and experiences associated with a specific gender. In the health sector, it is aimed at promoting gender equality and health equity.

Gender Equality is the absence of discrimination based on the person’s sex in the allocation of resources or benefits or in access and or control of services or resources (MOH). There should be equal treatment of women and men in laws, policies, opportunities, access to resources and services in families, communities and society. Gender equality is achieved when men and women can equally share power, resources, and influence.

However, in order for gender equality to be achieved, the concept of gender must me understood to its fullest extent. According to WHO, Gender refers to the characteristics of men, women, girls and boys that are socially acceptable. This includes norms, behaviors and roles associated with being a boy, girl, woman or man. Gender influences ones experience and access to health care. Unfortunately, the health sector is built in a way that may limit access to proper health care based on gender.

Importance of gender mainstreaming in heath programs.

The concept of gender mainstreaming in the health programs directly aligns with some of the UN Sustainable Development Goals like including Health and well-being for all( Goal 3), Gender equality (Goal 5), and reduction of inequality within and among countries (Goal 10)

1. Gender mainstreaming in the health sector helps to better understand the determinants of health for men and women like the biological factors, societal norms, which in turn gives a basis to address the unique needs of men and women enabling planning and allocation of resources in a more appropriate manner. This is done all the while understanding the inequalities that are faced by the different genders, how these impact their lives and how gender specific interventions can be put in place.  For example, specialized women’s hospitals with highly trained personnel have now  been put in place that cater to the health needs of women specifically after understanding the health needs of women. 
   
2. It is also a basis for creation and implementation of policies and interventions through which gender inequality can be eradicated. It is a well-known fact that women are the most vulnerable when it comes to the effects of gender inequality. This is observed through unpaid or low wage salaries in health care work which hinders them from accessing proper nutrition and health care.  There is also a higher incidence of gender based violence with over 70% of women reporting to have been victims or are at a risk of facing gender based violence. (WHO, Mainstreaming Gender within WHO Health Emergencies 2022-2026). All these forms of gender inequality predispose women to physical injuries, mental health problems like depression, anxiety and PTSD, social and economic hardships that in turn affect their health.
   
3. Policies that increase gender balanced representation in the political field and decision making committees have been put in place for example in Uganda, every district has a female representative to the government. These policies have helped to increase advocacy for the health needs of women by the representatives that better understand these needs. Additionally, Interventions towards eliminating injustices towards women have been put in place like the National Plan of Action for Sexual and Gender Based Violence, an intervention by the Ministry of Health whose goal is to strengthen the role of Uganda’s Health System within a multi-sectoral response to address gender based violence has been developed and implemented.  In order to address the issue of inequalities in the health sector work force, the ministry of Health Gender Discrimination and inequality Analysis (GIDA) was formed in order to assess Gender Equality in terms of equal opportunity and equal enjoyments of benefits and privileges of employment by women and men working in the public health sector. The key findings were segregation of women and men “male” and “female” jobs, with the concentration of men at the top of occupational hierarchies and women at the bottom. This information helped the ministry of health to develop an equal opportunity strategy to recruit more women into senior management positions in the public health sector. (http://library.health.go.ug/publications)
   
   
   
4. Gender mainstreaming also improves health communication and avoids inadvertently promoting negative gender norms or stereotypes. The ministry of Health refers to gender stereotyping as the act of assigning roles and responsibilities to a particular sex. Some of the gender stereotypes in Uganda include women being regarded as lazy, emotional, weak and dependent while men are regarded as independent, strong, decision makers and leaders. These stereotypes largely influence the positions that women take up in the health sector with women taking up lower positions as they are believed to be weak and lazy and unable to perform tasks as would be required. Gender stereotyping also affects the health seeking behaviors of men. They are usually hesitant to seek medical treatment when sick in fear that they may be looked at as weak and vulnerable.  

Conclusion 

Gender mainstreaming serves as a vital pathway toward fostering gender equality within the health sector. By comprehending gender concepts and incorporating gender considerations into health policies, programs, and projects, we pave the way for meaningful change. We can actively contribute to this cause by advocating for and influencing organizations to adopt gender-sensitive policies. Additionally, educating ourselves and others about gender mainstreaming in the health sector is crucial towards promoting change. Through these efforts, we can take significant strides towards creating a world where everyone feels safe and secure, advancing the journey towards gender equality in the health sector.

References 

1. World Health Organization report on gender and health
2. Uganda Ministry of Health address on Gender inequality in the workforce.
3. UN Women: Gender Mainstreaming https://www.unwomen.org/en/how-we-work/un-system-coordination/gender-mainstreaming