Promoting Gender Responsive Policies and Programmes for Community Health Workers: a Gender Analysis Framework

Authors: Farida El-Kalaawy, MPH, Dan Irvine, Rosemary Morgan, PhD, Rosie Steege, PhD, Mary Thompson RN, Polly R. Walker, D.Phil

Informal occupational roles with the lowest pay and the least power have been dominated by women. Recent findings from Afghanistan showed that male CHWs were praised for their volunteer work while female CHWs doing similar work were not praised as their efforts were viewed “expected” (Najafizada et al. 2019). COVID-19 has further highlighted the gendered nature of the workforce and increased the risks associated with the work for female healthcare workers. The article concludes by stating that without a comprehensive understanding of gender and power dynamics, CHWs programmes may reinforce, rather than transform, inequitable gender relations.

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