A Cooperative Model for Improving Reproductive Health and Transforming Gender Relations
(PDF, 524KB)
September 2010
This paper explores gender integration approaches to sexual and reproductive health programs and policies to demonstrate why it is important to promote gender equality from a relational/harmonized perspective in sexual and reproductive health. It "takes gender transformation to the next step, to what we have communally termed ‘gender synchronization.' By gender synchronization the authors mean working with men and women, boys and girls, in an intentional and mutually reinforcing way that challenges gender norms, catalyzes the achievement of gender equality, and improves health."
The paper describes the opportunities missed by the benefits and constraints of approaches to health development that work with women or men alone in a siloed manner. Further, it illustrates what separate but aligned programs and policies for both women and men and couple approaches look like; and, describes the value added from addressing both men and women from a relational perspective in programs and policies that improve health by challenging gender inequalities.
This product was developed by the RESPOND Project at EngenderHealth and the BRIDGE Project, at the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), in consultation with the Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).