Using gender analysis matrixes to integrate a gender lens into infectious diseases outbreaks research

Abstract

Evidence shows that infectious disease outbreaks are not gender-neutral, meaning that women, men, and gender minorities are differentially affected. This evidence affirms the need to better incorporate a gender lens into infectious disease outbreaks. Despite this evidence, there has been a historic neglect of gender-based analysis in health, including during health crises. Recognizing the lack of available evidence on gender and pandemics, in early 2020 the [Name retracted] project set out to use a gender analysis matrix to conduct rapid, real-time analyses while the pandemic was unfolding to examine the gendered effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reports on what a gender analysis matrix is, how it can be used to systematically conduct a gender analysis, how it was implemented within the study, ways in which the findings from the matrix were applied and built upon, and challenges encountered when using the matrix methodology.

The gender peak effect: Women are most vulnerable to infections during COVID-19 peaks

“…When a disease outbreak occurs, researchers and policymakers should monitor how gender disparities change at different stages of the outbreak, and design response policies accordingly. Including gender and sex dimensions in public responses will help not only ensure effective and equitable responses but also minimize the chances that disease outbreaks reproduce or exacerbate gender inequalities ( 1 , 18 , 22 ).…”

COVID-19, nutrition, and gender: An evidence-informed approach to gender-responsive policies and programs

“…In particular, the group sought to document the complexity of the pathways, often with multiple steps and layers. A gender analysis matrix is a tool which can be used to systematically explore how gender power relations influence a particular topic, such as nutrition ( Morgan et al, 2021 ). It uses an established gender framework which identifies the ways in which gender power relations manifest as inequities, such as through access to resources, roles and practices, norms, values, and beliefs, decision-making power and autonomy, and policies, laws, and institutions ( Morgan et al, 2016 ).…”

SDG5 ‘Gender Equality’ and the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid assessment of health system responses in selected upper-middle and high-income countries

“…System-based approaches largely ignore gender equality or limit the analysis to a few basic sex-based quantitative indicators. Feminist studies, in contrast, have developed alternative suggestions that take into account complexity and qualitative research (e.g., Morgan et al, 2022; Wenham et al, 2020; Wrede et al, 2006).…”

“…An increase in gender inequalities during a major global public health crisis calls for a critical review of both pandemic policies and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5) ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ (UN, 2020a) and its national/regional implementation, including gender mainstreaming approaches. However, a comprehensive gender-sensitive monitoring system of the impact of COVID-19 and pandemic policies is lacking; information is mainly collected by international NGOs (EuroHealthNet, 2021; IDLO, 2022; UN Women, 2020a,b,c) and feminist networks (Feminist Response to COVID-19 Collective, 2020; Morgan et al, 2022; Tomsick et al, 2022; Wenham et al, 2020).…”