The document discusses gender, health, and equity. It defines gender as social roles and interactions that produce power relations, while sex refers to biological differences. A bio-cultural approach recognizes that gender and sex interact, as social differences can have biological elements and vice versa. Systematic gender differences exist in areas like division of labor, education, medical access, and social liberties associated with resources. Measures of gender inequality in health include mortality, morbidity, healthcare access and quality, clinical research, and health outcomes. The document calls for addressing gender inequities in health through improving access to services, cultural sensitivity in programs, and political and economic equity.

1. Gender, Health, andGender, Health, and Equity:Equity:
The IntersectionsThe Intersections
Presented by: Beverly Hill, M.Ed.Presented by: Beverly Hill, M.Ed.
By Piroska Ostlin, Asha George and Gita Sen

2. Gender vs. SexGender vs. Sex
 GenderGender – perceptions, social roles, and– perceptions, social roles, and
interactions with other social features tointeractions with other social features to
produce certain powerproduce certain power
relations/differentialsrelations/differentials
 SexSex – the biologically recognized– the biologically recognized
differences between females and malesdifferences between females and males
 Males, females, transgender andMales, females, transgender and
transsexualstranssexuals

3. A Bio-cultural ApproachA Bio-cultural Approach
“…“…although gender and sex are conceptuallyalthough gender and sex are conceptually
distinct, in practice, variations ofdistinct, in practice, variations of interactioninteraction
between the two exist. Biological differencesbetween the two exist. Biological differences
between the sexes may be in partbetween the sexes may be in part sociallysocially
determined, while social differences arising fromdetermined, while social differences arising from
gender relations may also have agender relations may also have a biologicalbiological
element” (p. 133).element” (p. 133).
(Hammarstrom et al., 2001; Krieger and Zierler, 1995)(Hammarstrom et al., 2001; Krieger and Zierler, 1995)

4. Systematic GenderSystematic Gender
DifferencesDifferences
 Division of laborDivision of labor
 Education/literacyEducation/literacy
 Medical care accessMedical care access
 Social libertiesSocial liberties
associated withassociated with
income, resourcesincome, resources
and benefitsand benefits
*Photo accessed at http://www.mediarights.org/search/fil_detail.php?fil_id=02034.

5. Measures of Gender InequalityMeasures of Gender Inequality
in Health:in Health:
 MortalityMortality
 MorbidityMorbidity
 Health care accessHealth care access
and qualityand quality
 Clinical researchClinical research
 Health outcomesHealth outcomes

6. For discussion…For discussion…
 What are someWhat are some
BIOLOGICALLYBIOLOGICALLY
SPECIFICSPECIFIC healthhealth
needs of men andneeds of men and
women that are notwomen that are not
fairly accommodatedfairly accommodated
in the U.S. healthin the U.S. health
care system? Incare system? In
developingdeveloping
countries?countries?
 What are someWhat are some
examples ofexamples of
inequalities in healthinequalities in health
and health careand health care
arising from unfairarising from unfair
GENDERGENDER
RELATIONSRELATIONS, not, not
associated withassociated with
biologicalbiological
differences?differences?

7. Structural Violence?Structural Violence?
Medical Anthropologist & Medical Doctor,Medical Anthropologist & Medical Doctor,
Paul Farmer, informs us that many healthPaul Farmer, informs us that many health
conditions areconditions are socially-derivedsocially-derived and are hence aand are hence a
result of ‘structural violence’ that is perpetuatedresult of ‘structural violence’ that is perpetuated
by inequitable policies that areby inequitable policies that are political-political-
economic in natureeconomic in nature..
He warns that when we do not respond toHe warns that when we do not respond to
such policies explicitly, we run the risk ofsuch policies explicitly, we run the risk of
becomingbecoming “m“managers of inequalityanagers of inequality.”.”
 DO YOU AGREE …DO YOU AGREE …
OR DISAGREE?OR DISAGREE?

8. Policy Development for GenderPolicy Development for Gender
EquityEquity
 Access to goods and services:Access to goods and services: ComprehensiveComprehensive
promotion of self-help, reproductive health and sexuality,promotion of self-help, reproductive health and sexuality,
violence prevention and care for victims of violence,violence prevention and care for victims of violence,
mental health, and occupational health across age andmental health, and occupational health across age and
cultural groups (inclusive of primary, secondary andcultural groups (inclusive of primary, secondary and
tertiary prevention efforts).tertiary prevention efforts).
 Education & Empowerment:Education & Empowerment: Implement at theImplement at the
community and individual levels, for both men andcommunity and individual levels, for both men and
women. Base on sound theoretical perspectives.women. Base on sound theoretical perspectives.
 Political and Economic Equity:Political and Economic Equity: Provision of opportunitiesProvision of opportunities
that are made equally available to men and women at allthat are made equally available to men and women at all
ages and cross-culturally, and for the same rate of pay.ages and cross-culturally, and for the same rate of pay.

9. Theory to Practice:Theory to Practice:
Lessons from the fieldLessons from the field
Improvements can be made to combat gender inequitiesImprovements can be made to combat gender inequities
in health by:in health by:
 AddressingAddressing barriersbarriers to health care servicesto health care services
 Working toward greaterWorking toward greater cultural sensitivity, culturalcultural sensitivity, cultural
competency, & cultural proficiencycompetency, & cultural proficiency
 Establishing means for developing, implementing andEstablishing means for developing, implementing and
evaluating programs that will beevaluating programs that will be sustainablesustainable over timeover time
 Make the embodiment ofMake the embodiment of “health as a human right”“health as a human right” centralcentral
to all health promotion endeavorsto all health promotion endeavors
 ImprovingImproving data collection methodsdata collection methods to include more effectiveto include more effective
tracking and monitoring of health outcomes through timetracking and monitoring of health outcomes through time
and space forand space for allall genders.genders.

10. Parting thought…Parting thought…
Until we explicitly account forUntil we explicitly account for
thethe interacting social factorsinteracting social factors
that serve as healththat serve as health
determinants along withdeterminants along with
differentialdifferential biological markersbiological markers
inin locallocal health care provision,health care provision,
policy-making and communitypolicy-making and community
praxis, we will not be able topraxis, we will not be able to
adequately address theadequately address the
issues surroundingissues surrounding gendergender
inequityinequity in health.in health.
*References for this presentation have been made available on your handout.