Gender Issues In Health Projects and Programmes

This paper sets out some of the major gender issues arising from considerations of health care and health care provision. It draws on the experience of participants in a workshop in the Philippines to increase understanding of the concepts and issues arising in connection with gender and health, and to develop tools for analysing these issues.

Oxfam carries out original research on various aspects of its overseas programme, as part of a constant monitoring process, and in an effort to gain greater understanding of development programmes and practice. Although primarily a tool for institutional learning, some of the resulting reports are of wider interest. As part of its commitment to sharing experience of good practice, Oxfam publishes those reports which describe innovative research projects, evaluate particularly interesting projects or programmes, or are the proceedings of workshops or seminars. This paper sets out some of the major gender issues arising from considerations of health care and health care provision. It draws on the experience of participants in a workshop in the Philippines. The broad objectives of the workshop were to increase understanding of the concepts and issues arising in connection with gender and health, and to develop tools for analysing these issues in any given context, in order to plan and implement appropriate interventions.