Addressing Gender and Women's Empowerment in mHealth for MNCH: An Analytical Framework
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Date
2013
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Abstract
The proposed analytical framework for addressing gender and women s empowerment within mHealth and MNCH programs builds on a review of existing evidence and gaps a review of existing mHealth projects and consultations with experts at key events The framework is premised on the fact that addressing gender equity and women s empowerment is critical to successfully achieving health goals and that issues related to gender equality and women s empowerment are not yet fully understood in the context of mHealth The framework therefore proposes four domains of analysis based on mHealth intervention components The framework highlights the fact that women s voices and participation is central to their access and use of mobile phones and technology for better health Additionally women s empowerment and participation needs to be seen in a context while engaging men as well as other relevant gatekeepers and addressing social and cultural norms that inform and shape the gender relations behaviors and thus practices This holistic view is critical to achieve the health goals related to Millennium Development Goals MDGs 4 5 and 6 The framework is meant to serve As a tool to further examine understand and analyze gender related issues and implications within mHealth interventions including the unintended negative consequences of mHealth such as violence against women in order to address them by developing meaningful mHealth intervention strategies and approaches As a living framework which will be further informed by the evidence and analysis gathered henceforth The proposed framework may be used by practitioners including national governments and NGOs to further examine the issues on the ground by academics and researchers to undertake further research in this area by policy makers to examine gender sensitive mHealth and eHealth policies and by donors and other partners to support gender transformative mHealth interventions Why it helps with planning Proposes an analytical framework for addressing gender and women s empowerment within mHealth and MNCH
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Evidence Research Reports