Gender Analysis Example: Health
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Men and women, even within the same household, show different patterns of accessing
healthcare throughout the world. Photo Source: National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) |
Sector: Investing in People/Health/Primary Health Care
Project Title: Involving Women in Men's Health Care
Objective: To promote preventive and primary health care for men.
Narrative Brief: An activity to promote preventive and primary health care for men provided information to women about the impacts of untreated men's
health problems and encouraged them to talk to the men in their families about men's health.
The campaign design reflected the need for women, who usually had responsibility for family health and family budget priorities, to understand the importance of men's health to the whole family, including the future impact and costs of untreated illnesses.
Summary Gender Impact: Accommodates in short-term; Improves in long-term
The project recognizes and accommodates the cultural realities that men seek health care and practice preventive care less often than women.
It tackles this by focusing on women who are generally more concerned about health in the family.
It does not bring in men as partners, and it puts women in the role of teacher, rather than helping men to take responsibility for their
own health. On the other hand, it suggests that family health is the main issue to get across to men. It is unclear if accommodating
these cultural practices will affect power relations or be seen as a short-term practical intervention. In the longer term, the improved
health of men also benefits the women.
Project cycle juncture where major gender factors might have been identified:
The project design probably benefited from an in-depth needs assessment and women's feedback on the proposed project. Intervention might have been required to gain men's acceptance.
Project innovations for design, intervention, and implementation
- Could the project have started with a more thorough study of the reasons for men's behavior?
- Could it have enlisted male peer educators?
- What could have happened if the project invited men to attend the information sessions or held male-only sessions in places where men congregate?
Gender data requirements:
- Reasons why men do not seek health care (e.g., attitudes about health, convenience of the clinics, and/or attitude of providers).
- Focus group data on women regarding taking on this task of educating men and whether they actually have influence over their husbands.
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