Gender and social inclusion

we INTEGRATe gender WITH community ACCOUNTABILITY, SOCIAL CHANGE AND INCLUSION to increase impact.

In many developing countries, there are extensive social, cultural, gender and other barriers that are underpinned by power dynamics and various belief systems which prevent health services from being utilised.  In many communities, sexual and gender based violence is a daily occurrence for many of the most vulnerable women and girls. There is a need for communities to be supported so that they can hold governments and duty bearers to account for better health services, and to ensure that the poorest and most marginalised groups are not left behind. 

Halcyon’s experts have a deep and wide experience working on numerous community-related priorities, including gender and social inclusion (GESI), voice and accountability, social and behaviour change and tackling harmful beliefs and practices. We comprehensively link such work to policy advocacy and supply-side interventions to support the uptake of health and nutrition services.

EXAMPLES OF OUR EXPERTS AND EXPERIENCE.

Deborah Thomas is an international GESI and community-based expert. With 18 years’ work experience in more than 15 countries, Deborah has been responsible for integrating and mainstreaming GESI approaches and related initiatives into many large and complex DFID health and development programmes. Her “leave no one behind” expertise includes women’s empowerment and community mobilisation for health; supporting citizen voice and social accountability interventions; violence against women, increasing access to services in remote areas and for marginalised groups such as adolescent girls, the ultra-poor; women who face violence and other discrimination, and; reaching the most marginalised and disenfranchised communities.

Dr. Emil Dauncey is a social anthropologist who specialises in understanding gender and power dynamics in societies and the impact that this has on health and communities, especially young people. Emil has carried out extensive research in Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and India and keen findings have provided importance anthropological perspectives to inform and support the programme delivery of community interventions.

Rob Wood is leading a series of programme design and evaluations that are focussed on the intersections between health, gender based violence and community dynamics. He has recently been the Team Leader on several evaluations and research studies on GBV in Somalia for the Swiss Development Cooperation and a programme by Health Poverty Action which is funded by the European Commission.