Women's Participation in the Health Workforce in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries: Application of a Gender Analysis Framework

Abstract

Background Gender analysis is a process for assessing the impact of several development activities in the healthcare system on individual women, men, and other genders. Several gender analysis frameworks guide to undertake gender analysis in planning, implementing, and evaluating the impact of the various development initiatives, ranging from humanitarian assistance to a broader socio-economic development in the context, including the progress towards gender equality in access to and control over resources, and changes in gender relation. Methods We applied a gender analysis framework (GAF) proposed by Morgan and colleagues to the empirical literature on women's participation in the health workforce. The GAF guided analysis of the gendered dynamics among males and females between and within medicine, nursing, and midwifery professionals in the human resources for health (HRH) in fragile and conflict-affected states/countries (FCASs). Results Analysis revealed strong gendered patterns influenced unequal access to resources, division of labor, social norms, ideologies and beliefs, and rules and decision making, which disproportionately affected more women than men in FCASs. Based on the findings, we recommend governments in FCAS offer equal opportunities for both the male and female health workforce to address their practical needs as beneficiaries to improve their living conditions and address strategic needs, particularly empowering women and transforming their position in society. Similarly, gender equality must be considered more centrally in health systems research to reinforce transformative social and political interventions empirically from the conception of the research idea, the participation in the processes as participants and researchers to achieve the intended outcomes. Conclusion The gender analysis framework helped analyze gender power dynamics between males and females in the health workforce in different FCASs that affected women's access to resources, role performance, values, and perspectives, and decision making, which have implications for reinforcing equal opportunities for males and females in the workforce and the health systems research.