Gender Mainstreaming and Sector-wide Approaches in Health

This paper explores some of the opportunities and challenges that the increasing move towards sector-wide approaches (SWAps) offer gender mainstreaming. SWAps, as a new approach to aid and development, are growing in number, particularly in more aid-dependent country contexts. The paper introduces what is understood by SWAps and then explores the concept of gender mainstreaming, with particular reference to health. At a theoretical level the paper discusses the potential synergies between the goals of SWAps and gender mainstreaming in terms of promoting equity, efficiency and sustainability in health outcomes. However, early discussions of the SWAps process in the health sector in different countries reveal some emerging tensions and dilemmas for gender mainstreaming strategies, which are discussed. These are the relationship between government and donors, the involvement of district and civil society in the SWAp process, and, possibly, an increasingly biomedical approach to health. The paper concludes by laying out questions for further discussion and experience sharing.