Pillar 2: Gender and Health

Bridging the gap between knowledge, policy and action

A nurse taking care of a patient.

Given the central role of gender in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal for health and the fact that progress has remained extremely limited despite bold commitments, UNU-IIGH will focus its efforts and resources on generating policy-relevant analysis on gender and health. The aim is to support the work of UN agencies, and member states to decrease gender disparities in health and is operationalised through the following intersecting strategies: 

Elevate experiential knowledge to integrate sex- and gender-based differences in health systems 

As a neutral convener and global think tank, UNU-IIGH plays a unique role by consolidating and generating evidence and informing the prioritisation by the UN and Member States of effective gender-transformative policies and interventions; meaningful engagement with communities and stakeholders; and adequate resourcing and investments to transform gendered power dynamics for better health. 

Contribute to strengthening multilateral and bilateral organisational responses to advancing gender equality in health at multiple levels 

UNU-IIGH will concentrate on approaches that seek to transform gendered power dynamics, and challenge inequitable gender norms and the status quo. It will do this by working in partnership with a range of stakeholders, including UN sister agencies, member states, experts, academics, civil society and communities themselves, to develop and socialise an innovative and effective set of analytical approaches and tools to address gender disparities in health policy and practice. 

Catalyse gender integration in programmes and policy with co-created solutions at country and regional levels 

UNU-IIGH brings its thought leadership, network and convening power, as well as its cadre of fellows, PhD students, visiting scholars and experts to support the synthesis and generation of the evidence around the challenges and limitations of current approaches. It convenes stakeholders to assess the evidence on effective strategies, interventions and institutional processes and how this can be translated into policies, programming and practice; as well as to help identify potential evidence-based solutions, and actively advocate for their uptake. 

Women students waiting in line for lunch

Discover the Gender and Health Hub Platform

Promoting collaboration and knowledge-sharing for gender equality and inclusive global health, driving policy change for better outcomes worldwide.
Click here to visit the UNU-IIGH Gender & Health Hub 

Think Piece & Podcast Series 

Projects

Project

Scoping and recommendations related to gender language, and documenting good practice in engaging civil society

This project will contribute to WHO's work to address health inequities and strengthen the capacity of health experts in delivering on global health.

17 Sep 2022

Project

Gender and Health Policy Hub

This project aims to develop a network of policy-makers, academics, and practitioners to promote policy-relevant research on gender and global health.

03 Sep 2020

Project

Gender and Digital Health

This project aims to establish an open-innovation cluster for research and policy with a focus on gender, health, and access to digital technologies.

30 Nov 2019

Project

Gender Scan of UNDP HIV, TB and Malaria programmes funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria

This project aims to assess the gender responsiveness of UNDP’s portfolio of Global Fund grants and provide recommendations for future grants.

29 Oct 2019