Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Examining gender equity in health policies in a low- (Peru), middle- (Colombia), and high- (Canada) income country in the Americas

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Public Health Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Gender inequities in health prevail in most countries despite ongoing attempts to eliminate them. Assessment of gender-sensitive health policies can be used to identify country specific progress as well as gaps and issues that need to be addressed to meet health equity goals. This study selected and measured the existence of gender-sensitive health policies in a low- (Peru), middle- (Colombia), and high (Canada)-income country in the Americas. Investigators selected 10 of 20 gender-sensitive health policy indicators and found eight to be feasible to measure in all three countries, although the wording and scope varied. The results from this study inform policy makers and program planners who aim to develop, improve, implement, and monitor national gender-sensitive health policies. Future studies should assess the implementation of policy indicators within countries and assess their performance in increasing gender equity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beck, T. (1999) Using Gender-sensitive Indicators: A Reference Manual for Governments and Other Stakeholders. London: Commonwealth Secretariat.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, S. (2005) Defining and measuring gender: A social determinant of health whose time has come. International Journal for Equity in Health 4 (1): 11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyal, L. (2001) Sex, gender, and health: The need for a new approach. British Medical Journal 323 (7320): 1061–1063.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grace, S.L., Fry, R., Cheung, A. and Stewart, D.E. (2004) Cardiovascular disease. BMC Womens Health 4 (1): S15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Moreno, C., Heise, L., Jansen, H.A., Ellsberg, M. and Watts, C. (2005) Public health. Violence against women. Science 310 (5752): 1282–1283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyal, L. (2000) Gender equity in health: Debates and dilemmas. Social Science & Medicine 51 (6): 931–939.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doyal, L. (2003) Sex and gender: The challenges for epidemiologists. International Journal of Health Services 33 (3): 569–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R.C. (2003) Epidemiology of women and depression. Journal of Affective Disorders 74 (0165–0327; 1): 5–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Case, A. and Paxson, C. (2005) Sex differences in morbidity and mortality. Demography 42 (2): 189–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Moreno, C., Jansen, H.A., Ellsberg, M., Heise, L., Watts, C.H. and WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women Study Team (2006) Prevalence of intimate partner violence: Findings from the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence. Lancet 368 (9543): 1260–1269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Moreno, C. (2002) Dilemmas and opportunities for an appropriate health-service response to violence against women. Lancet 359 (9316): 1509–1514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, G. and Ostlin, P. (2008) Gender inequity in health: Why it exists and how we can change it. Global Public Health 3 (S1): 1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). (2005) Gender, Health, and Development in the Americas: Basic Indicators 2005, http://www.paho.org/Project.asp?SEL=HD&LNG=ENG&10=378, accessed 5 October 2009.

  • Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). (2001) Health indicators: Building blocks for Health Situation Analysis. Epidemiological Bulletin 22 (4), http://www.paho.org/English/dd/ais/eb_v22n4.pd, accessed 5 October 2009.

  • Moss, N.E. (2002) Gender equity and socioeconomic inequality: A framework for the patterning of women's health. Social Science and Medicine 54 (5): 649–661.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Theobald, S., Tolhurst, R., Elsey, H. and Standing, H. (2005) Engendering the bureaucracy? Challenges and opportunities for mainstreaming gender in Ministries of Health under sector-wide approaches. Health Policy Plan 20 (3): 141–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, V., L’Orange, H. and Silburn, K. (2007) Gender-sensitive indicators: Uses and relevance. International Journal of Public Health 52: S27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, V., Gruszin, S., Ellickson, C., Glover, J., Silburn, K., Wilson, G. and Poljski, C. (2007) Comparative evaluation of indicators for gender equity and health. International Journal of Public Health 52 (1): S19–S26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braveman, P.A. (2003) Monitoring equity in health and healthcare: A conceptual framework. Journal of Health Population and Nutrition 21 (3): 181–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). (2005) Basic indicators for gender equity analysis in health. 2005, 1–152, http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsacd/cd20/basicindicators.pdf, accessed 5 October 2009.

  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research. (2008) Global health – Healthy Canadians in a healthy world. Gender and Health, 13 March, http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/35878.html, accessed 26 August 2009.

  • World Health Organization Centre for Health Development. (2004) Gender perspective for better health and welfare systems development. Proceedings of the Fourth International Meeting on Women and Health World Health Organization Centre for Health Development, 2004, Kobe, Japan, 1–140, http://www.who.or.jp/library/0370_p.pdf, accessed 5 October 2009.

  • Lin, V. et al (2003) Comparative evaluation of indicators for gender equity and health, 1–332, http://www.who.or.jp/library/tf1_report.pdf, accessed 5 October 2009.

  • Hospital Report Research Collaborative. (2001) Hospital Reports 2001: Preliminary studies, Vol. 2 – Exploring Nursing, Women's Health, Population Health, http://www.hospitalreport.ca/downloads/2001/prelim_studies_vo2.pdf, accessed 5 October 2009.

  • International Labour Organization (ILO). (2000) Trade unions and the informal sector: Towards a comprehensive strategy. Geneva, ILO Bureau of Worker's Activities (ACTRAV), http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/actrav/publ/infsectr.htm, accessed 5 October 2009.

  • Canadians for Choice. (2006) Reality check: A close look at accessing abortion services in Canadian hospitals, Ottawa: Canadians for choice, 1–62, http://www.canadiansforchoice.ca/report_english.pdf, accessed 5 October 2009.

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Gender and Health for support for this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Health Network Women's Health Program, 200 Elizabeth Street, EN 7-229, Toronto, M5G 2C4, ON, Canada

    Donna E Stewart

  2. University Health Network Women's Health Program, 200 Elizabeth Street, EN 7-232A, Toronto, M5G 2C4, ON, Canada

    Linda M Dorado

  3. University Health Network Women's Health Program, 200 Elizabeth Street, EN 7-234, Toronto, M5G 2C4, ON, Canada

    Natalia Diaz-Granados

  4. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Olachea 285, Lima, 11, Peru

    Marta Rondon

  5. Instituto Nacional de Salud Mental, Jr. Eloy Espinoza Saldaña No. 709, San Martín de Porres, Lima, 31, Peru

    Javier Saavedra

  6. Universidad Javeriana, Cra 11 No. 94-02, Bogota, Colombia

    Jose Posada-Villa

  7. Universidad CES, Calle 10a No.22-04, Medellin, AA 054591, Colombia

    Yolanda Torres

Authors
  1. Donna E Stewart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Linda M Dorado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Natalia Diaz-Granados
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marta Rondon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Javier Saavedra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jose Posada-Villa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yolanda Torres
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Gender inequities in health prevail in most countries despite ongoing attempts to eliminate them. The authors review gender-sensitive health policies in 3 countries to learn about country specific progress – and about how to assess issues to be addressed to meet health equity goals worldwide.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stewart, D., Dorado, L., Diaz-Granados, N. et al. Examining gender equity in health policies in a low- (Peru), middle- (Colombia), and high- (Canada) income country in the Americas. J Public Health Pol 30, 439–454 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2009.40

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2009.40

Keywords

Search

Navigation