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Conceptual and practical foundations of gender and human resources for health

NEWMAN, Constance
October 2009

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This paper presents learning about various forms of gender discrimination and how they serve as barriers to health workforce participation, against the backdrop of the global gender and human resources for health (HRH) literature. It points to the central roles played by pregnancy discrimination in weakening women’s ties to the health workforce, and occupational segregation in limiting men’s role in the development of a robust informal HIV and AIDS care-giving workforce. The paper also offers global recommendations for future action through health workforce policy, planning, development and support

Alleviating the burden of responsibility : men as providers of community-based HIV/AIDS care and support in Lesotho

NEWMAN, Constance
September 2009

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This is an overview of a study of men as providers of HIV and AIDS care and support in Lesotho to help address the problems of occupational segregation with regards to human resources for health. Such inequality ..."impedes the development of robust health workforces. In the era of HIV/AIDS, this makes for inequities, inefficiencies and missed opportunities by creating barriers to health workforce entry and limiting the possible pool of formal and nonformal health workers. In Lesotho, as in many other countries, the HIV and AIDS care burden falls on the shoulders of women and girls in unpaid, invisible household and community work. This gender inequity in [human resources for health] needs to be addressed to ensure fair and sustainable responses to the need for home- and community-based HIV/AIDS care and support"

Addressing gender inequality in human resources for health

NEWMAN, Constance
September 2009

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This brief reviews how the Capacity Project addressed gender discrimination and inequality in human resources for health (HRH) through its institutional mechanisms, approaches and tools as well as in country-level implementation. The public health workforce in developing countries is predominantly female. Addressing gender discrimination and inequality in human resources for health (HRH) policy and planning, workforce development and workplace support is essential in tackling the complex challenges of improving access to services, by positively influencing HRH recruitment, retention and productivity

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