Gender and Health Systems in Fragile Settings

In the second episode of a six-part mini-series by ReBUILD for Resilience, we explore the intersection of gender and health systems in fragile settings (see 'useful links' for links to the other episodes from this series). Hosted by Kim and co-hosted by Abriti Arjyal from HERD International, the episode features insights from Dr. Rouham Yamout from the American University of Beirut and Dr. Val Percival from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University. The discussion covers the impact of gender dynamics on health systems during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and armed conflicts, emphasising community-led, participatory approaches to promote gender equality and resilience in health systems.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Connecting Citizens to Science

00:29 Exploring Gender and Health Systems Resilience

01:17 Introducing Our Experts and Their Perspectives

02:30 The Impact of Gender on Health Systems and Resilience

03:22 Global Insights on Gender, Health, and Resilience

10:05 Participatory Approaches to Addressing Gender Norms

18:21 Concluding Thoughts and Advice on Gender in Health Systems

21:05 Farewell and Invitation to Explore More In this episode

In this episode:

Abriti Arjyal -Research Manager, HERD International

Abriti is leading on HERD International’s qualitative and participatory approaches in ReBUILD for Resilience. She has a focus on gender and intersectionality. She has experience in public health, health systems, service delivery research, social science and gender and equity. She has led formative and operational field studies, evaluation studies, and literature reviews, developing expertise in design, implementation and analysis of qualitative research, rapid ethnography and various community and participatory based approaches. Most of Abriti’s work has focused on gender and resilience, including maternal and child health, antibiotic resistance, disaster risk reduction and resilience, nutrition, diabetes and violence against women.

Dr. Rouham Yamout – Project Coordinator, American University of Beirut

Rouham works at the American University of Beirut. She was a medical doctor for 20 years before moving into public health where she now focuses on health system research and strengthening access to quality healthcare. She has extensive research experience with projects involving internally displaced people’s mental health, the ethics of research in war time and waterpipe smoking among adolescents. Rouham has worked for International Red Cross where she was a trainer in the clinical management of rape and sexual assault, Lebanese University as an instructor in research design for nursing students and in UN organisations looking at immunisation, nutrition and refugees’ health.

Dr. Valerie Percival - Associate Professor, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs

Val’s research focuses on the impact of violent conflict on the health of civilians, backlash against gender equality, as well as gender norms and health care delivery. She is a Commissioner for The Lancet Commission on Peaceful Societies through Health and Gender Equality and led the research and writing of the Commission Report published in September 2023. In partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada, she is the Principal Investigator for GenLab – a Community of Practice in Mozambique - that works to understand how gender norms influence access to and delivery of healthcare services. She held at fellowship at the Wilson Center in Washington DC. She has worked with the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, the International Crisis Group directing their Kosovo office, the UNHCR, and PRIO.

Useful links:

• Revisiting Resilience in Health Systems Research - Connecting Citizens to Science - This conversation is the first part of a mini-series titled 'Stories of Resilience - Local Lives and Health Systems', powered by the ReBUILD for Resilience research consortium. This podcast episode, hosted by Dr. Kim Ozano and co-hosted by Professor Sophie Witter, engages in an insightful discussion on health systems resilience, particularly in fragile settings affected by violence, conflict, pandemics, and other shocks.
• The Health Workforce in Times of Crisis - Connecting Citizens to Science - This episode is the third part of the six-part mini-series "Stories of Resilience: Local Lives and Health Systems," brought to you by ReBUILD for Resilience. In this episode, we discuss the challenges faced by the health workforce in fragile settings such as conflict zones and areas hit by political and economic crises. Our guests share their first-hand experiences and insights on how health systems and workers strive to provide care under extreme conditions.
• Rouham Yamout
• Valerie Percival
• ReBUILD for Resilience - ReBUILD for Resilience examines health system resilience in fragile settings experiencing violence, conflict, pandemics and other shocks.

ReBUILD is an international research consortium that aims to produce high-quality, practical, multidisciplinary and scalable research which can be used to improve the health and lives of many millions of people.

ReBUILD for Resilience is funded by the UK government.

Want to hear more podcasts like this?

Follow Connecting Citizens to Science on your usual podcast platform or YouTube to hear more about the methods and approaches that researchers use to connect with communities and co-produce solutions to global health challenges.

The podcast cuts across disciplines, including health systems strengthening, gender and intersectionality, tropical diseases (NTD’s, TB, Malaria), maternal and child healthcare (antenatal and postnatal care), mental health and wellbeing, vector-borne diseases, climate change, Participatory Action Research (PAR), co-production and participatory methods - all linked to community inclusion, engagement and shifting power dynamics.   

If you would like your project or programme to feature in an episode or mini-series, get in touch with the producers of Connecting Citizens to Science, the SCL Agency.