GENDER Inequalities and Policies .pptx

Gender

1. GENDER INEQUALITIES AND POLICIES IN MEDICAL PRACTICE Woniala Julius Akatwongera George Biira Jetress Mukakara Mugezi Asuman Asiimwe Anne GROUP ONE MEMBERS

2. Gender is recognized as one of the most relevant determinants of health inequalities. In order to address health inequalities, nations have been driven by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN itself to include the gender perspective into their health systems and other public policies.

3. Gender equality in medical practice refers to the fair treatment and representation of individuals of all genders within the field of medicine. Gender equality is a fundamental human right that promotes fairness and justice in society by ensuring that both men and women have the same access to resources, opportunities, and decision-making processes.

4. Gender inequity in health refers to the unfair, unnecessary, and preventable inequalities that exist between women and men in the state of health, health care, and participation in health work . Gender equity strategies are used to ultimately achieve equality. Equity is the means, equality is the result.

5. Importance of Gender Perspective in Health Systems It is imperative that gender perspectives be incorporated into health systems for a number of reasons. First of all, due to biological, social, and cultural variables, men and women frequently have distinct health requirements and experiences. Secondly, gender norms and inequalities can impact access to healthcare services, treatment outcomes, and overall health status.

6. Gender inequalities in medical practice A gender imbalance exists in employment and pay in many health institutions. Men predominate in higher-paid, higher-status roles, while women are overrepresented in lower-paid positions. In Uganda, only 24% of doctors are women, compared to 80% of nurses. The voices of women are not being heard within health institutions. Since males make up the bulk of decision-makers in health facilities, women's concerns are frequently disregarded and kept silent out of fear for their job stability.

7. Women make up the majority of the health workforce in the WHO European Region, yet gender inequalities within the health system persist Female health workers still face significant barriers in terms of achieving leadership positions, income equality and overcoming gender stereotypes about the types of health-care role that women generally fill Unequal distribution of unpaid caregiving affects women’s health, economic empowerment and quality of life, particularly in older age, while it perpetuates the lower participation of men in care Gender inequalities in medical practice

8. Gender bias in research and the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials has been highlighted in recent years, with calls to ensure equal inclusion of male and females in order to ensure that biological and gender-based differences are taken into account and that safe and effective diagnosis and treatment of disease occurs for both women and men Design of primary health care, for example, may not take into consideration the needs of men most at risk of high blood pressure. Unequal power relations in the household may affect a woman’s access to health care and gender stereotypes and unequal power relations may hamper women negotiating contraceptive use Gender inequalities in medical practice

9. Notable differences between male and female medical professionals are seen in relation to specialty choice (horizontal segregation), with women underrepresented in high-prestige leadership roles and highly remunerated specialties such as surgery Female healthcare professionals in Uganda often face challenges balancing their professional responsibilities with traditional gender roles, such as caregiving and household duties. This can result in women being disproportionately burdened with domestic work, leading to increased stress and burnout. Gender inequalities in medical practice

10. Gender segregation is also evident within the medical hierarchy (vertical segregation): women are often overrepresented in nursing and midwifery services and care professions, while men are overrepresented in generally higher-wage professions such as medicine and dentistry A review of health workforce wage data in 16 Member States of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2016 found that women not only received lower wages than men in general but also received lower wages for doing the same or similar jobs as men within the same occupational group

11. A more gender equal distribution for unpaid care has a positive impact on both women’s and men’s health. For example, men involved in childcare are less likely to consume alcohol and drugs, have fewer accidents, have less physical and mental health problems overall and live longer The majority of health professionals in the Region are women but this is not reflected in health-care leadership roles: only 30% of health ministers are women.

12. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979), the United Nations Declaration on Violence Against Women (1993), the International Conference on Population and Development Plan of Action (1994), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), the Millennium Declaration (2000 ), and the Commonwealth Plan of Action on Gender and Development (2005-2010). Uganda is also signatory to three International Labour Organization (ILO) gender equality standards and has incorporated them in the National Employment Act (2006). Some established Policies on gender

13. The Constitution of Uganda (1995) is the overarching national framework for ensuring the attainment of gender equality and women’s empowerment. It recognizes gender equality as a fundamental human rights principle; provides for affirmative action to redress imbalances including those based on gender and specifically recognizes the rights of women to reach their full potential in social, economic, and political activities; and calls for the outlawing of customs, traditions, and practices that undermine the welfare, dignity, and interests of women Report on the Ministry of Health’s Gender Inequality and Discrimination Analysis in Uganda

14. The Equal Opportunities Commission established by an Act of Parliament (The Equal Opportunities Commission Act 2007) was put in place to address discrimination and inequalities across the board in the Ugandan society. The mandate of the Commission is specified as, “An Act to make provision in relation to the Equal Opportunities Commission pursuant to articles 32 Article 21 (1) states that “all persons are equal before and under the law in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life, and in every other respect and shall enjoy equal protection of the law Article 21 (1) states that “all persons are equal before and under the law in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life, and in every other respect and shall enjoy equal protection of the law

15. Article 33 (5) states that “women shall have the right to affirmative action ….” while Article 33 (1) states that “women shall be accorded full and equal dignity of person with men.” Article 33 (2) enjoins the State to provide facilities and opportunities for enhancing the welfare of women and to enable them to realize their full potential

16. Solutions to inequalities Launching gender awareness activities for male and female health professionals, patients, and members of local communities. This could take place through radio and television programmes and social media; posters and other forms of publicity; mandatory gender training for all staff; or a gender awareness raising day. Introducing formal, discrete channels for staff to raise complaints about discriminatory behaviour and for appropriate action to be taken. Running campaigns encouraging girls to consider pursuing a career in STEM subjects, while also promoting nurse/care positions as suitable for both males and females. Introducing gender in school and university curricula.

17. Improving gender equality requires addressing two main issues: the integration of gender perspectives into universal coverage and service delivery reforms and into public policy and leadership reforms (WHO, 2010) The creation of gender-sensitive measures for evaluating the formulation of health policy is a third matter that requires further consideration. There are three crucial requirements in this case: First, gender sensitive indicators ‘are most effective when linked to gender analysis ’; Second, they need to go beyond the reproductive and sexual health of women; and Third, they should pay more attention to men’s health

18. References WHO Regional Office for Europe; ( 2016 )Strategy on women’s health and well-being in the WHO European Region. Copenhagen: (http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/333912/strategy-womens-health-en.pdf?ua=1, accessed 30 May 2019). New York: United Nations Sustainable Development Group; (2017) IBC-Gender. SDGs and gender equality: UN interagency guidance note for the Europe and Central Asia Region. (https://undg.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/UNFPA-EECARO-SDGs-GENDER-WEB.pdf, accessed 30 May 2019). The constitution of Uganda

19. Thank you for listening