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DESCRIPTION

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a healthy, peaceful, and prosperous world. A person’s gender affects their ability to reduce their exposure to risks of poor health, access healthcare, adopt health-seeking behaviours, and achieve good health and well-being. To be effective, global health programs must adopt a gender integration approach that systematically works to reduce gender-related barriers to good health and well-being and advance gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment.

This introductory course takes a participatory approach to building global health practitioners’ skills to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate gender transformative programmes. The course will follow a typical project cycle, taking participants through key entry points for gender integration at each stage. Faculty from Canadian and global private and public sector institutions (e.g., academia, NGOs, government) will share their real-world experiences in gender integration in global health programmes, and case studies will cover various sub-sectors, such as immunization, nutrition, and malaria. In addition to gender analysis, participants will learn how to apply an intersectional lens to gender-transformative approaches, enhancing their understanding and promotion of social inclusion and the social determinants of health. Participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences with gender integration through group work and short assignments.

COURSE DIRECTORS

Alison Riddle, MSc, PhD
Adjunct Professor, School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa
Investigator at the Bruyère Health Research Institute

CONTENT

This course examines the relationship between gender and global health, focusing on how gender norms, roles, and inequalities influence health outcomes and access to care worldwide. Covering key issues such as maternal and child health, nutrition, adolescent health, and sexual and reproductive health and rights, participants will explore the impact of gender disparities on these areas and learn about effective, gender-responsive and -transformative approaches to health policy and program design. Through real-world case studies and practical tools, the course equips participants to recognize and address gender-specific barriers, contributing to equitable and transformative changes in global health systems.

Course modules will include, among others:

• Introduction to Gender and Health: Provides an overview of key gender concepts—such as the differences between sex and gender, gender norms, roles, and stereotypes—and explores how these factors impact health outcomes, with essential terms and definitions in global health.
• Global Health Challenges and Gender Inequality: Examines major global health challenges and how gender inequality shapes health outcomes, supported by case studies that illustrate the connections between gender and health.
• Gender-Based Violence and Its Impact on Health: Covers various forms of gender-based violence (GBV) and their physical, mental, and reproductive health consequences, along with strategies for GBV prevention and response within healthcare settings.
• Policies and Programs for Gender Equality in Health: Reviews key global frameworks and agreements (e.g., SDGs, CEDAW) alongside national policies that advance gender equality in health, featuring case studies of effective gender-focused health interventions.

OBJECTIVES

• Understand the Role of Gender in Health: Identify how gender influences health outcomes, access to healthcare, and overall well-being across different contexts.
• Analyze Global Health Disparities: Examine key global health issues through a gender lens, recognizing disparities and their root causes.
• Apply Gender Integrated Approaches: Gain practical skills to integrate gender considerations into health policies, programs, and interventions for more equitable health outcomes.

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is intended for global health practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in Canada and abroad who are interested in an introductory skills-building course in gender integration. The course is designed for participants who have little to no previous experience in this area.

ENROLMENT

Limited to 100 participants.