Moving the ICPD agenda forward: challenging the backlash

Sen, Gita; Kismödi, Eszter; Knutsson, Anneka

doi:10.1080/26410397.2019.1676534

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(13 reference statements)

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“…More than 25 years after the landmark Beijing Platform for Action, advancing gender equality remains an ongoing global priority, as signalled by the impetus and focus of the UN Women Generation Equality Forum [1][2][3][4][5]. Over the past decades there have been some gains and improvements towards achieving substantive gender equality, however transforming policy, structures and systems that contribute to reproducing gender and intersecting inequalities remain a priority for action, both globally and in South Africa [6][7][8][9][10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How gender is socially constructed in policy making processes: a case study of the Adolescent and Youth Health Policy in South Africa

Jacobs

George

2023

Int J Equity Health

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Background Gender equality remains an outstanding global priority, more than 25 years after the landmark Beijing Platform for Action. The disconnect between global health policy intentions and implementation is shaped by several conceptual, pragmatic and political factors, both globally and in South Africa. Actor narratives and different framings of gender and gender equality are one part of the contested nature of gender policy processes and their implementation challenges. The main aim of this paper is to foreground the range of policy actors, describe their narratives and different framings of gender, as part exploring the social construction of gender in policy processes, using the Adolescent Youth Health Policy (AYHP) as a case study. Methods A case study design was undertaken, with conceptual underpinnings combined from gender studies, sociology and health policy analysis. Through purposive sampling, a range of actors were selected, including AYHP authors from government and academia, members of the AYHP Advisory Panel, youth representatives from the National Department of Health Adolescent and Youth Advisory Panel, as well as adolescent and youth health and gender policy actors, in government, academia and civil society. Qualitative data was collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 30 policy actors between 2019 and 2021. Thematic data analysis was used, as well as triangulation across both respondents, and the document analysis of the AYHP. Results Despite gender power relations and more gender-transformative approaches being discussed during the policy making process, these were not reflected in the final policy. Interviews revealed an interrelated constellation of diverse and juxtaposed actor gender narratives, ranging from framing gender as equating girls and women, gender as inclusion, gender as instrumental, gender as women’s rights and empowerment and gender as power relations. Some of these narrative framings were dominant in the policy making process and were consequently included in the final policy document, unlike other narratives. The way gender is framed in policy processes is shaped by actor narratives, and these diverse and contested discursive constructions were shaped by the dynamic interactions with the South Africa context, and processes of the Adolescent Youth Health Policy. These varied actor narratives were further contextualised in terms of reflections of what is needed going forward to advance gender equality in adolescent and youth health policy and programming. This includes prioritising gender and intersectionality on the national agenda, implementing more gender-transformative programmes, as well as having the commitments and capabilities to take the work forward. Conclusions The constellation of actors’ gender narratives reveals overlapping and contested framings of gender and what is required to advance gender equality. Understanding actor narratives in policy processes contributes to bridging the disconnect between policy commitments and reality in advancing the gender equality agenda.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How gender is socially constructed in policy making processes: a case study of the Adolescent and Youth Health Policy in South Africa

Jacobs

George

2023

Int J Equity Health

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“…By framing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and therefore family planning in terms of human rights, this was a move away from population control to viewing reproductive health and rights of individual women and men more holistically. 2 The Programme of Action recognised the right of “all people to have access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including voluntary family planning/contraception and safe pregnancy and childbirth services.” 3 These developments resulted in several advances in policies and programmes across the world.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the role of female sterilisation in Indian family planning through qualitative analysis: perspectives from above and below

Sivaram

Singh

Penn‐Kekana

2022

Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters

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Since the 1990s, the global approach to family planning has undergone fundamental transformations from population control to addressing reproductive health and rights. The Indian family planning programme has also transitioned from being vertical, target-oriented, and clinic-based to a supposedly target-free, choice-based programme that champions reproductive rights. Despite contraceptive choices being offered and voluntary adoption encouraged, there is a heavy reliance on female sterilisation. Community health workers, known as ASHAs, are responsible for on-ground implementation of family planning policies and are incentivised to promote sterilisation as well as other methods. This study explored perspectives to understand of the role of female sterilisation in Indian family planning and whether policy is reflected in implementation. Secondary ethnographic data from Rajasthan, which included twenty interviews and five group discussions, were used to understand the perspectives of ASHAs. Primary data included five key informant interviews to understand the perspectives of experts nationally. Data were analysed thematically with a combination of deductive and inductive coding. Themes that emerged included choice, population control and coercion, family planning targets, quality and experience of services, historical factors and social norms. Despite the official policy shift, there appears to be narrow implementation which is still target-driven, relies heavily on female sterilisation, while negotiating between achieving population stabilisation and upholding reproductive rights. There is a need to emphasise spacing methods, ensure a rights- and choice-based approach and encourage male participation in reproductive health decisions.

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Changing men or changing health systems? A scoping review of interventions, services and programmes targeting men’s health in sub-Saharan Africa

Beia

Kielmann

Diaconu

2021

Int J Equity Health

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Background Sex and gender have been shown to influence health literacy, health seeking behaviour, and health outcomes. However, research examining the links between gender and health has mainly focused on women’s health, which is a long-standing global health priority. We examine literature focused on the ‘missing men’ in global health research, in particular empirical studies that document interventions, programmes, and services targeting men’s health issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. Within these studies, we identify dominant conceptualisations of men and men’s health and how these have influenced the design of men’s health interventions and services. Methods This is a scoping review of published and grey literature. Following comprehensive searches, we included 56 studies in the review. We conducted a bibliographic analysis of all studies and used inductive methods to analyse textual excerpts referring to conceptualizations of men and service design. An existing framework to categorise services, interventions, or programs according to their gender-responsiveness was adapted and used for the latter analysis. Results From the included studies, we distinguished four principal ways in which men were conceptualized in programs and interventions: men are variously depicted as ‘gatekeepers’; ‘masculine’ men, ‘marginal’ men and as ‘clients. Additionally, we classified the gender-responsiveness of interventions, services or programmes described in the studies within the following categories: gender-neutral, −partnering, −sensitive and -transformative. Interventions described are predominantly gender-neutral or gender-partnering, with limited data available on transformative interventions. Health systems design features – focused mainly on achieving women’s access to, and uptake of services – may contribute to the latter gap leading to poor access and engagement of men with health services. Conclusion This review highlights the need for transformation in sub-Saharan African health systems towards greater consideration of men’s health issues and health-seeking patterns.

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Moving the ICPD agenda forward: challenging the backlash

Cited by 3 publications

References 12 publications

How gender is socially constructed in policy making processes: a case study of the Adolescent and Youth Health Policy in South Africa

How gender is socially constructed in policy making processes: a case study of the Adolescent and Youth Health Policy in South Africa

Understanding the role of female sterilisation in Indian family planning through qualitative analysis: perspectives from above and below

Changing men or changing health systems? A scoping review of interventions, services and programmes targeting men’s health in sub-Saharan Africa

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