Gender, Health Development

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This interdisciplinary course provides a broad, policy-oriented introduction to the subject of gender as a factor in health and development. It is premised on the view that the gendered organization of societies and economies has important implications for population health, and the development prospects of families, communities and nations. The course begins by exploring important questions related to the distinctions between sex as a biological category and gender as a social category, and the hierarchical relations that gender elicits. Students will consider the particular disadvantage of women and girls, as well as the gender-related challenges faced by men, boys, and sexual and gender minorities. Class discussions will probe the intersections between gender and other overlapping deprivations, such as poverty, race and social exclusion, and their implications for health equity and development. Students will also examine the influence of gender-related inequities on the health and development outcomes of children and the broader economy and society, with attention to issues of gender-based violence, SRHRs, and healthcare access. The course concludes by critically examining global and national policy and program responses, and what is needed moving forward.