Gender and health promotion: A multisectoral policy approach

Abstract

Women and men are different as regards their biology, the roles and responsibilities that society assigns to them and their position in the family and community. These factors have a great influence on causes, consequences and management of diseases and ill-health and on the efficacy of health promotion policies and programmes. This is confirmed by evidence on male-female differences in cause-specific mortality and morbidity and exposure to risk factors. Health promoting interventions aimed at ensuring safe and supportive environments, healthy living conditions and lifestyles, community involvement and participation, access to essential facilities and to social and health services need to address these differences between women and men, boys and girls in an equitable manner in order to be effective. The aim of this paper is to (i) demonstrate that health promotion policies that take women's and men's differential biological and social vulnerability to health risks and the unequal power relationships between the sexes into account are more likely to be successful and effective compared to policies that are not concerned with such differences, and (ii) discuss what is required to build a multisectoral policy response to gender inequities in health through health promotion and disease prevention. The requirements discussed in the paper include i) the establishment of joint commitment for policy within society through setting objectives related to gender equality and equity in health as well as health promotion, ii) an assessment and analysis of gender inequalities affecting health and determinants of health, iii) the actions needed to tackle the main determinants of those inequalities and iv) documentation and dissemination of effective and gender sensitive policy interventions to promote health. In the discussion of these key policy elements, we use illustrative examples of good practices from different countries around the world.

Factors influencing the utilization of maternal health care services by nomads in Sudan

“…Gender relations are defined by different roles and responsibilities assigned by society to men and women (Ostlin et al 2006). The traditions and cultures delineate tasks and responsibilities of individuals within nomadic society, and sketch the roles of women within the family and community.…”

Neighborhood disadvantage, individual-level socioeconomic position and physical function: A cross-sectional multilevel analysis

“…Although this may due to the welldocumented gender-based reporting bias on physical function, 45 it is also possible that this discrepancy could be attributed to the differences in biology, control over resources and their decision making power in family and community, as well as the roles and responsibilities that society assigns to them. 46 Individuals in this study with higher levels of educational attainment, individuals with a higher level of occupation, and members of high income households reported higher physical function. Previous studies have shown that income and education are likely to be closely linked, but with one influencing the other via distinct aetiological pathways.…”

Sex, benevolence and willingness to pay for screening

“…If gender stereotyping is indeed a cause of male reticence then individual change is unlikely in the absence of structural change (Cameron and Bernardes, 1998). Public health policies, however, tend to be gender-blind, essentially because of a presumption that gender-sensitivity in services is unnecessary and concerns about appearing discriminatory (Ostlin et al, 2007).…”