Introduction
Gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are closely interconnected dimensions of human development, wellbeing, dignity and social inclusion. Gender norms, unequal power relations, discrimination and socioeconomic inequalities can significantly influence individuals’ ability to access accurate information, quality health services, make informed decisions and exercise their sexual and reproductive rights. Strengthening gender equality is therefore an important component of creating enabling environments in which individuals can access appropriate services and make informed choices about their health and wellbeing.
Sexual and reproductive health encompasses a broad range of issues, including access to information and services, reproductive healthcare, maternal health, contraception, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, fertility and infertility care, sexuality education, menstrual health and dignity, and protection from violence and harmful practices. These issues can affect women, men, adolescents and other population groups differently depending on their social, economic, cultural and institutional circumstances.
This course examines the relationship between gender equality and SRHR from a rights-based, gender-responsive and intersectional perspective. It explores how gender norms, power relations, discrimination, poverty, age, disability, geography and other factors can create barriers to accessing services and exercising rights. Participants will also examine approaches for strengthening gender-responsive health systems, inclusive services, community engagement, safeguarding and institutional accountability.
The programme is designed to move beyond conceptual discussions by providing participants with practical tools for analysing SRHR challenges, designing gender-responsive interventions, strengthening service delivery and developing institutional strategies. Participants will engage with case studies, programme scenarios, group exercises, service-delivery assessments and practical planning activities.
The course can be tailored to the relevant country operating environment, health system, institutional mandate, policy framework and population context. It is suitable for public institutions, health-sector organizations, development agencies, NGOs, humanitarian organizations, community-based organizations and other institutions involved in health, gender, social protection, education, youth development and community programming.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the concepts and principles of gender equality, sexual health, reproductive health and reproductive rights.
- Examine the relationship between gender equality and SRHR outcomes.
- Analyse how gender norms, power relations and discrimination influence SRHR.
- Identify key barriers to accessing quality and equitable SRHR information and services.
- Apply a gender-responsive and rights-based approach to SRHR programming.
- Examine the diverse SRHR needs of women, men, adolescents and other population groups.
- Understand the importance of informed decision-making, bodily autonomy and dignity in SRHR.
- Identify gender-related barriers affecting access to reproductive healthcare.
- Strengthen approaches to gender-responsive health service delivery.
- Integrate adolescent and youth perspectives into SRHR programmes.
- Address gender-based violence and its relationship with sexual and reproductive health.
- Strengthen approaches to preventing and responding to harmful practices affecting SRHR.
- Apply intersectional approaches to SRHR programme design and implementation.
- Strengthen community participation and engagement in SRHR initiatives.
- Integrate safeguarding, confidentiality and protection principles into SRHR services and programmes.
- Develop gender-responsive SRHR policies, programmes and interventions.
- Apply gender-responsive monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning approaches.
- Use evidence and gender-disaggregated data to improve SRHR programming.
- Identify institutional and system-level opportunities for strengthening SRHR.
- Develop a practical Gender Equality and SRHR Action Plan.
Course Outline
Module 1: Foundations of Gender Equality, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Understanding Gender Equality and SRHR
- Concepts of gender, sex, gender equality and gender equity
- Understanding sexual health and reproductive health
- Sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Human dignity, equality and non-discrimination
- Rights-based approaches to health and development
- Gender equality as a determinant of health and wellbeing
- Linking SRHR with broader development outcomes
Gender Norms, Power and SRHR
- Gender roles and expectations
- Power relationships and decision-making
- Gender stereotypes and their influence on health
- Household and community decision-making
- Gender inequality and access to healthcare
- Social norms affecting reproductive choices
- Transforming harmful gender norms
SRHR Across the Life Course
- Sexual and reproductive health needs across different stages of life
- Adolescence and transition to adulthood
- Reproductive age and family planning
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Menopause and later-life reproductive health
- Men’s sexual and reproductive health
- Changing needs and vulnerabilities across the life course
Intersectionality and SRHR
- Gender and socioeconomic inequality
- Age and SRHR
- Disability and inclusive SRHR
- Geographic and rural-urban disparities
- Poverty and access to health services
- Migration, displacement and humanitarian contexts
- Multiple and intersecting barriers to care
Practical Exercise
Participants conduct an intersectional SRHR needs assessment for a hypothetical population, identifying gender-related barriers, vulnerable groups and opportunities for improving access to services and information.
Module 2: Gender-Responsive Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
Access to SRHR Information and Services
- Availability, accessibility and affordability of services
- Accurate and age-appropriate health information
- Health literacy and informed decision-making
- Confidentiality and privacy
- Respectful and dignified care
- Removing institutional and social barriers to access
Gender-Responsive Healthcare
- Gender-responsive health systems
- Understanding differentiated health needs
- Patient-centred and person-centred care
- Addressing gender bias in healthcare
- Provider attitudes and unconscious bias
- Quality of care and respectful service delivery
- Strengthening referral systems
Family Planning and Reproductive Choice
- Gender and reproductive decision-making
- Access to voluntary family planning information and services
- Counselling and informed choice
- Addressing barriers to contraceptive access
- Male engagement and shared decision-making
- Addressing myths, misinformation and stigma
- Respecting individual autonomy and confidentiality
Maternal, Newborn and Reproductive Health
- Gender-related determinants of maternal health
- Access to antenatal and postnatal care
- Safe and respectful maternity care
- Maternal health information and decision-making
- Referral and continuity of care
- Postpartum health and support
- Addressing disparities in maternal health outcomes
Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV
- Gender and vulnerability to STIs and HIV
- Prevention and health education
- Testing, treatment and prevention services
- Stigma and discrimination
- Gender-responsive counselling and support
- Confidentiality and informed consent
- Community-based approaches to prevention and care
Practical Exercise
Participants assess a hypothetical SRHR service-delivery pathway and identify gender-related barriers affecting information, access, quality, confidentiality and continuity of care.
Module 3: Adolescents, Youth, Gender-Based Violence and SRHR
Adolescent and Youth SRHR
- Understanding adolescent and youth SRHR needs
- Age-appropriate information and education
- Barriers to accessing health services
- Privacy and confidentiality
- Youth-friendly health services
- Peer education and community engagement
- Meaningful youth participation
Gender-Based Violence and SRHR
- Understanding the relationship between GBV and SRHR
- Sexual violence and reproductive health consequences
- Intimate partner violence
- Coercion and control
- Violence during pregnancy
- Sexual exploitation and abuse
- Survivor-centred approaches
Child, Early and Forced Marriage and SRHR
- Gender inequality and harmful practices
- Health and social consequences
- Barriers to education and economic participation
- Prevention approaches
- Community engagement
- Protection and referral mechanisms
- Working with families, communities and institutions
Men, Boys and Gender Equality in SRHR
- Engaging men and boys as partners
- Positive masculinities
- Shared responsibility for reproductive health
- Male sexual and reproductive health
- Male engagement in maternal and child health
- Challenging harmful gender norms
- Preventing violence and coercive behaviour
Sexuality Education and Health Communication
- Principles of comprehensive and age-appropriate sexuality education
- Evidence-based health communication
- Addressing misinformation and harmful myths
- Communication with adolescents and young people
- Digital platforms and SRHR information
- Culturally responsive communication
- Confidentiality and safeguarding
Practical Exercise
Participants develop a gender-responsive SRHR intervention for adolescents and young people, incorporating information, service access, safeguarding, community engagement and youth participation.
Module 4: Gender-Responsive SRHR Programming, Policy and Institutional Practice
Gender Analysis in SRHR Programming
- Conducting gender analysis
- Identifying gender-related barriers and opportunities
- Stakeholder and power analysis
- Understanding different population needs
- Intersectional needs assessment
- Applying findings to programme design
Gender-Responsive SRHR Programme Design
- Developing gender-responsive objectives
- Designing inclusive interventions
- Integrating rights and dignity into programme design
- Targeting and reaching underserved populations
- Designing referral and support systems
- Resource allocation and budgeting
- Risk identification and mitigation
Policy and Institutional Frameworks
- Integrating gender equality into health policies
- Institutional SRHR policies and guidelines
- Gender-responsive planning
- Policy implementation and accountability
- Institutional coordination
- Strengthening organizational capacity
- Policy review through a gender lens
Community Engagement and Social Norms
- Community participation in SRHR programming
- Working with community leaders and organizations
- Engaging women, men, adolescents and marginalized groups
- Addressing harmful social norms
- Behaviour and social change approaches
- Building community ownership
- Managing resistance and misinformation
Health Systems and Multi-Sectoral Collaboration
- Health-sector coordination
- Linkages between health, education and social protection
- Referral networks
- Partnerships with civil society and community organizations
- Private-sector engagement
- Integrating SRHR into broader development programmes
- Strengthening continuity of care
Practical Exercise
Participants develop a gender-responsive SRHR programme framework covering needs assessment, objectives, target groups, interventions, implementation arrangements, partnerships, resources and expected outcomes.
Module 5: Measuring Gender Equality and SRHR Outcomes and Developing an Institutional Action Plan
Gender and SRHR Data
- Importance of reliable SRHR data
- Sex- and age-disaggregated data
- Disability- and location-disaggregated data
- Intersectional data analysis
- Identifying underserved populations
- Data quality and ethical considerations
- Using evidence to inform decisions
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
- Developing gender-responsive SRHR indicators
- Measuring access and service utilization
- Measuring quality and equity
- Monitoring health and programme outcomes
- Client feedback and accountability mechanisms
- Participatory monitoring
- Learning and adaptive programme management
Measuring Institutional Gender Responsiveness
- Assessing organizational capacity
- Gender-responsive policies and procedures
- Staff competencies and training
- Service accessibility
- Referral and safeguarding systems
- Institutional accountability
- Continuous quality improvement
Sustainability and Institutional Change
- Building institutional ownership
- Strengthening leadership commitment
- Resource mobilization and budgeting
- Integrating gender and SRHR into strategic plans
- Developing institutional champions
- Strengthening partnerships
- Sustaining programme results
Developing a Gender Equality and SRHR Action Plan
- Identifying institutional and programme priorities
- Defining strategic objectives
- Developing practical interventions
- Assigning responsibilities
- Establishing timelines
- Developing indicators and targets
- Identifying resources
- Establishing accountability and review mechanisms
Practical Exercise
Participants develop a Gender Equality and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Institutional Action Plan that identifies priority gaps, strategic interventions, responsible stakeholders, implementation timelines, resources, indicators and accountability mechanisms.
Training Approach
The course will adopt a practical, participatory and rights-based learning approach, combining expert presentations with facilitated discussions, case studies, group exercises, programme-design activities, institutional assessments and practical action planning.
Participants will explore realistic scenarios involving access to healthcare, reproductive decision-making, adolescent SRHR, gender-based violence, family planning, maternal health, community engagement and health-system responsiveness. These exercises will help participants understand how gender inequality can influence health outcomes and how institutions can respond through more inclusive policies, services and programmes.
The programme will also emphasize evidence-based and participant-centred learning. Where appropriate, participants will be encouraged to bring relevant institutional policies, programme documents, service-delivery frameworks, gender data, monitoring reports and organizational challenges to the training. These materials can be used to identify practical opportunities for strengthening gender-responsive SRHR interventions.
Facilitated group work will provide opportunities for participants to examine different perspectives, including those of health providers, policymakers, programme managers, communities, adolescents, women, men and marginalized populations. The approach will encourage respectful discussion of sensitive subjects while maintaining professional standards of confidentiality and safeguarding.
The final component of the training will focus on practical application. Participants will develop a Gender Equality and SRHR Action Plan that translates the concepts and tools covered during the programme into specific institutional or programme-level interventions.
General Notes
Training Requirements: Participants should have a general understanding of health, gender, development, programme management, public policy, social services or institutional operations. No specialist medical qualification is required unless the course is customized for a technical health audience.
Training Materials: Participants will receive comprehensive training materials, practical tools, case studies, exercises, programme-design templates and reference materials to support continued application after the programme.
Certification: Participants who successfully complete the programme will receive a Certificate of Completion from Kincaid Development Center.
Training Venue: The programme can be delivered at a suitable Kincaid Development Center training venue, a client-designated venue or through a live online learning platform.
Course Customization: The course can be customized to reflect the participating institution’s mandate, health system, target population, existing SRHR programmes, institutional policies and strategic priorities.
Country and Institutional Context: Content can be adapted to the relevant national legal, policy, health-system and socio-cultural environment while maintaining internationally applicable principles of gender equality, human rights and SRHR.
Organizational Application: Participants are encouraged to bring relevant policies, programme documents, strategic plans, monitoring frameworks, service-delivery data or other appropriate institutional materials for use during practical exercises.
Sensitive Subject Matter: The programme addresses topics that may include sexual health, reproductive rights, gender-based violence, harmful practices and discrimination. Training will therefore be facilitated in a professional, respectful and safeguarding-conscious environment.
Safeguarding and Confidentiality: Participants will be encouraged not to disclose identifiable personal or survivor information during discussions and exercises. Case studies and practical scenarios will be used where appropriate to support learning while protecting confidentiality and dignity.
Inclusive Participation: The training promotes consideration of diverse SRHR needs, including those of adolescents and young people, persons with disabilities, marginalized populations and other groups experiencing barriers to services.
Post-Training Application: Kincaid Development Center can support participating institutions in translating the training into practical interventions, including gender assessments, SRHR programme design, policy review, staff capacity building, monitoring frameworks and institutional action planning.
Delivery Method: The course can be delivered through face-to-face, virtual or blended learning formats depending on institutional requirements and participant needs.