Gender Mainstreaming in the Health Service - NWCI seeks to contract a researcher for this exciting p

Published: Tuesday, November 23, 2010

National Women's Council of Ireland
Gender Mainstreaming Strategy for the Health Service Executive
The NWCI is seeking to contract an experienced and highly skilled researcher for this project.

The tender is for the production of a Gender Mainstreaming Strategy for the Health Service Executive. Over the past number of months the NWCI has been discussing with the HSE, the need to ensure a strong gender dimension in Irish health policy, planning and service delivery in line with national and international objectives and commitments. To this end the HSE has agreed to work with us on developing a strategy to make these objectives realizable and turning commitments into action.

In the work we have done on Women's Health to date, the National Women's Council has clearly identified that recognising gender as a social determinant of health is a key factor in the development and delivery of effective health services to women, men and children. Through our research, policy work, outreach and consultation with groups throughout Ireland, we have identified a wide range of issues, needs and challenges which must be addressed.

The following is a summary of the outcome of 13 consultation meetings on the right to Health which the Women's Human Rights Alliance (convened by the NWCI) carried out over the past 18 months throughout the country. These include the need to;

* Ensure a gender perspective in the planning and resource allocation for health services, to address the fact that women's and men's specific needs are often neglected, particularly those in the poorest, most vulnerable and marginalised communities;
* Take account of the services that are the most important to women, for example, in access to childcare and maternity services, and services addressing abuse and domestic violence. Take account also of services important to men which address specific issues such as for example, suicide, social isolation, depression and lifestyle issues.
* Take into account the specific experiences of groups of vulnerable women and men, including migrants, those seeking asylum, Travellers, those living in poverty, lone parents, disabled people, gay men, lesbians and older women. Services need to be planned, delivered and monitored for their impact on health inequalities and access to services.
* Implement a women's health strategy. The lack of such a strategy has been identified as a major issue raised by the NWCI and other women's organisations, which militates against a gender and human rights based approach to health. To date the HSE has produced a National Men's Health Policy (2008-2013).
* Ensure that health care policies are underpinned by the principles of human rights, equality, inclusion, involvement and participation of service users and community based approaches.

Tenders should be submitted electronically by: 5.00pm Wednesday, 15th December 2010 to anneg@nwci.ie

Interviews will b held on the 17th December, 2010

Contact person;

Anne Gibney