Gender is often neglected in health systems, yet health systems are not gender neutral. Within health systems research, gendered analysis seeks to understand how gender power relations create inequities in access to resources, the distribution of labour and roles, social norms and values, and decision-making. This paper synthesises findings from nine studies focusing on four health systems domains, namely human resources, service delivery, governance and financing. It provides examples of how a gendered and/or intersectional gender approach can be applied by researchers in a range of low- and middle-income settings (Cambodia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, India, China, Nigeria and Tanzania) to issues across the health system and demonstrates that these types of analysis can uncover new and novel ways of viewing seemingly intractable problems.

By Rosemary Morgan, Richard Mangwi, Debjani Barman, Stephen Buzuzi, Charles Ssemugabo, Nkoli Ezumah, Asha S. George, Kate Hawkins, Xiaoning Hao, Rebecca King, Tianyang Liu, Sassy Molyneux, Kelly W. Muraya, David Musoke, Tumaini Nyamhanga, Bandeth Ros, Kassimu Tani, Sally Theobald, Sreytouch Vong and Linda Waldman

Link to the journal article