Adopting a gender lens in health systems policy: A guide for policy makers

Policy makers are interested in knowing what practical steps to take to move towards a more gender-equitable and transformative health system. This is a guide that will help them bring a gender lens to their policy deliberations on health systems and through this approach it will support them in meeting overarching health targets such as those related to Universal Health Coverage.

In order to prompt reflections on how gender affects health systems in the real world, this guide includes case studies from a range of countries, including Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. These illustrate how decision making that does not take gender into account leads to sub-optimal health systems and provides practical examples of strategies that have been effective in addressing gender barriers in health systems. Each section concludes with a list of further resources which are accessible online.