Improving health with programmatic, legal, and policy approaches to reduce gender inequality and change restrictive gender norms Jody Heymann, Jessica K Levy, Bijetri Bose, Vanessa Ríos-Salas, Yehualashet Mekonen, Hema Swaminathan, Negar Omidakhsh, Adva Gadoth, Kate Huh, Margaret E Greene, Gary L Darmstadt on behalf of the Gender Equality, Norms and Health Steering Committee
By: Heymann, Jody [et al. ]
.
Contributor(s): Gender Equality, Norms, and Health Steering Committee.
Material type: 
ArticleSeries: The Lancet; Gender Equality, Norms, and Health (The Lancet series).Publisher: The Lancet, 2019Subject(s): ATTITUDES | ECONOMIC ASPECTS | EDUCATION | GENDER | GENDER EQUALITY | HEALTH | SOCIAL CHANGE | WOMENOnline resources: Read abstract | Access the series
In:
The Lancet, 2019, 393(10190): 2522–2534 (Gender Equality, Norms and Health 3)Summary: Evidence that gender inequalities and restrictive norms adversely affect health is extensive; however, far less research has focused on testing solutions. We first comprehensively reviewed the peer-reviewed and grey literature for rigorously evaluated programmes that aimed to reduce gender inequality and restrictive gender norms and improve health. We identified four mutually reinforcing factors underpinning change: (1) multisectoral action, (2) multilevel, multistakeholder involvement, (3) diversified programming, and (4) social participation and empowerment. Following this review, because little research has investigated the effects of national-level law and policy reforms, we conducted original quasi-experimental studies on laws and policies related to education, work, and income, all social determinants of health in which deep gender inequalities exist. We examined whether the laws and policies significantly affected health outcomes and gender norms, and whether law-induced and policy-induced changes in gender norms mediated the health effects, in areas for which longitudinal data existed. Laws and policies that made primary education tuition-free (13 intervention countries with the law and/or policy and ten control countries without) and that provided paid maternity and parental leave (seven intervention and 15 control countries) significantly improved women's and their children's health (odds ratios [OR] of 1·16–2·10, depending on health outcome) and gender equality in household decision making (OR 1·46 for tuition-free and 1·45 for paid maternity and parental leave) as a proxy indicator of gender norms. Increased equality partially mediated the positive effects on health outcomes. We conclude by discussing examples of how improved governance can support gender-equitable laws, policies, and programmes, immediate next steps, and future research needs. (Authors' abstract).
This is the third in a Series of five papers about gender equality, norms, and health.
The Series on Gender Equality, Norms, and Health is a collection of five papers, led by Gary Darmstadt and colleagues, that provides new analysis and insights into the impact of gender inequalities and norms on health, and the opportunities that exist within health systems, programmes, policies, and research to transform gender norms and inequalities. (From the website). For more information about the series, follow the link. Record #6334
The Lancet, 2019, 393(10190): 2522–2534 (Gender Equality, Norms and Health 3)
Evidence that gender inequalities and restrictive norms adversely affect health is extensive; however, far less research has focused on testing solutions. We first comprehensively reviewed the peer-reviewed and grey literature for rigorously evaluated programmes that aimed to reduce gender inequality and restrictive gender norms and improve health. We identified four mutually reinforcing factors underpinning change: (1) multisectoral action, (2) multilevel, multistakeholder involvement, (3) diversified programming, and (4) social participation and empowerment. Following this review, because little research has investigated the effects of national-level law and policy reforms, we conducted original quasi-experimental studies on laws and policies related to education, work, and income, all social determinants of health in which deep gender inequalities exist. We examined whether the laws and policies significantly affected health outcomes and gender norms, and whether law-induced and policy-induced changes in gender norms mediated the health effects, in areas for which longitudinal data existed. Laws and policies that made primary education tuition-free (13 intervention countries with the law and/or policy and ten control countries without) and that provided paid maternity and parental leave (seven intervention and 15 control countries) significantly improved women's and their children's health (odds ratios [OR] of 1·16–2·10, depending on health outcome) and gender equality in household decision making (OR 1·46 for tuition-free and 1·45 for paid maternity and parental leave) as a proxy indicator of gender norms. Increased equality partially mediated the positive effects on health outcomes. We conclude by discussing examples of how improved governance can support gender-equitable laws, policies, and programmes, immediate next steps, and future research needs. (Authors' abstract).
This is the third in a Series of five papers about gender equality, norms, and health.
The Series on Gender Equality, Norms, and Health is a collection of five papers, led by Gary Darmstadt and colleagues, that provides new analysis and insights into the impact of gender inequalities and norms on health, and the opportunities that exist within health systems, programmes, policies, and research to transform gender norms and inequalities. (From the website). For more information about the series, follow the link. Record #6334
