Advancing gender equality in global health: What can we learn from successful gender integration across five UN agencies?

Abstract

The global nature of on-going crises - climate, economic, social, political - and their impact on health means more than ever a response supported via an effective multilateral system is needed. Not only have these crises worsened health inequities but they have also eroded strides advancing gender equality, with detrimental impacts in the health sector and beyond. Despite recent attacks against multilateralism, the United Nations (UN) and its agencies remain strategically well-placed to provide direction and lead the agenda of gender equality in health, drawing on lessons from the past. Through a collaborative practice-based multi-agency study, 14 case studies from across five UN agencies were documented and analysed to identify what has worked institutionally and programmatically to promote gender equality in health over the last 25 years. The outcomes observed reflected the different levels that UN agencies work at and showcased the capabilities and strengths of the UN system in promoting gender equality in health through its operational functions, global agenda-setting work, and institutional processes and structures. In addition, across the case studies five key factors - feminist civil society, robust evidence, leadership support and gender technical expertise, and institutional structures - consistently stood out as necessary elements to leverage opportunities and produce substantial and sustained advances in gender equality in health. These findings offer important lessons of what to foster more of in multilateral and bilateral health organisations as we seek to continue advancing gender equality in health.