Health and Wellbeing
Issues:
Health Systems
Sexual and Reproductive Rights
Gender-Based Violence
Body Politics
Masculinities
The health gap between rich and poor continues to widen. In many parts of the world, the progress that has been achieved in public health over the years is being reversed. For several hundred million people worldwide, access to basic services such as health, clean water or sanitation remains extremely difficult – if not impossible. In this context, gender is a crucial factor in determining access to health care. Biological and socially constructed differences between women and men are reflected in health systems and have an impact on health and wellbeing. Health systems often do not correspond in a comprehensive way to gender specific needs and might even deepen disparities. This can result for example in unequal access to health care, unequal knowledge about health issues, and unequal health outcomes for women and men. SDC puts emphasis on a strong governance system to improve health service delivery and resource management, and to ensure responsiveness and accountability to the needs of users. To attain gender equality, a human rights based approach to reproductive health and reproductive choices of women, men and adolescents is essential.
Links:
IDRC: Gender, Health, and Development
Publications:
WHO 2009: Women and Health: today's evidence tomorrow's agenda
The design and the functioning of health systems can have different impacts on women and men. Health services may not account for or be designed to fulfil the needs of women; risk factors, frequencies and type of diseases as well as measures to combat those health risks are often not seen as gender-specific. Furthermore the health sector itself is strongly gender biased in terms of the perception of disease and wellbeing, of the respective diagnosis practices, and of scientific practice, as well as being gendered through hierarchies between male and female employees.
Links:
SDC: Health systems and sanitation
ELDIS: Gender and health systems
Publications:
Siyanda: Mainstreaming Gender Equality
Sexual and Reproductive Rights
According to the World Health Organization: “Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence." The WHO definition of sexual rights focuses in particular on the right of all persons to access sexuality education, choose one’s partner, have consensual sexual relations and marriage, and enjoy respect for bodily integrity. Promoting and protecting sexual and reproductive rights is fundamental in attaining the goals of sustainable, equitable development and gender equality.
Links:
IPPF: International Planned Parenthood Federation
WHO / HRP: Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction
WHO: Sexual and Reproductive Health
Publications:
CRR 2008: Using the Millennium Development Goals to Realize Women's Reproductive Rights
Hogan et al. 2010: Maternal mortality for 181 countries, 1980–2008. The Lancet.
Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Studies, University of Bern 2010: Glossary on maternal health with additionnal focus on gender issues
Gender-based violence occurs in every culture and social group. It encompasses a wide range of human rights violations like the sexual abuse of children, domestic violence, rape - including in conflict situations, female genital mutilation, and violence in the name of ‘honor’. Preventing and ultimately combating GBV requires the reduction of the broader gender inequalities which allow violence to take place, such as the perceived inferiority of women and girls. It also requires that attention be directed towards engaging men and boys as partners against violence.
Links:
The UN Secretary-General's database on violence against women
UNIFEM: Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence Against Women and Girls
UN Women: Violence against women
WHO: violence against women
Publications:
Oxfam, Pickup, Sweetman & Williams 2010: Ending violence against women
Oxfam 2010: Women and Men: Hand in Hand against Violence
Geneva Declaration 2011: Tackling violence against women: from knowledge to practical initiatives
In a nutshell, the notion of body politics encompasses everything normally unsaid, invisible. And yet, these concealed features of human existence present entry points for regulative forces in the interest of governance. The central questions are how bodies – women’s and men’s bodies – are regulated by national and – increasingly – international politics, how this regulation shapes their daily lives at work, at home, in their private as well as public relationships, and how body politics are affected and challenged by development policies.
Publications:
Siyanda: Mainstreaming Gender Equality
While there are real differences in power and privilege experienced by women and men on the basis of gender, many men share with the women in their lives experiences of indignity as a result of social and economic oppression. Men may also be disadvantaged by rigid gender norms - such as the idea that men should be able to provide financially for their wives and children, and the assumption that ‘real men’ are ready and willing to have sex whenever the opportunity presents itself. Particularly in the case of young or low income men, or men who have sex with men rather than women, these norms are simply not achievable. Even men who are able to conform to dominant norms of masculinity may lose out. For example, gender socialisation in most countries dictates that men should take control in sexual relations, leaving no space for admission of the anxieties they may feel, and making it more difficult for them to admit ignorance and seek information on safer sex.
In response, much innovative work with men and boys is taking place - supporting men to question traditional gender norms in order to transform men’s sexual behaviour, reduce violence against women, and promote more involved fatherhood. Most importantly,the goal of gender equality must be kept central in any effort to engage men, and such initiatives must be carried out in partnership with and accountability to groups working for women’s rights.
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