Gender and Immunization

Stephanie Shendale

Why does gender matter for immunization?

The Immunization Agenda 2030 envisions a world where everyone, everywhere, at every age, fully benefits from vaccines to improve health and well-being. Gender-related barriers and gender inequality can prevent people, both male and female, from getting vaccinated. The goal of gender equity is to ensure that everyone has the same chances and opportunities to access and benefit from immunization services.

Immunization programmes will only succeed in expanding coverage and equity when gender roles, norms and relations are understood, analyzed and accounted for as part of service planning and delivery.

Why Gender Matters : IA2030 is a user-friendly resource for everyone engaged in supporting, managing or implementing immunization programmes, and outlines the need for gender mainstreaming across the core principles and strategic priorities of IA2030.

WHO IVB landing page for Gender and Immunization

Why Gender Matters for Immunization: Webinar Series

This webinar series aims to improve awareness and understanding of how gender-related barriers impact immunization and to showcase examples of gender-responsive programming to improve coverage and equity.

Webinars were delivered in English, with simultaneous French translation.

Registration closed.

Webinar 1: Why Gender Matters for Immunization – overview

Date: Thurs 8 June 2023, 15h-16h

Presenters:

  • Stephanie Shendale, Technical Officer, WHO/IVB
  • Shoubo Jalal, Senior Gender Specialist, UNICEF
  • Jean Munro, Senior Manager, Gender, GAVI

Materials:

Webinar 2: Understanding gender-related barriers to immunization: importance of gender data and analysis

Date: Thurs 22 June 2023, 15h-16h

Presenters:

  • Stephanie Shendale, Technical Officer, WHO/IVB
  • Michela Manna, Consultant, WHO/IVB
  • Valentina Bigoni, WHO
  • Veronica Kamanga Njikho, UNICEF

Materials:

Webinar 3: Gender responsive approaches 1 – Gender responsive actions for the health workforce

Date: Thurs 6 July 2023 15h-16h

Presenters:

  • Stephanie Shendale, Technical Officer, WHO/IVB
  • Michelle McIsaac, WHO
  • Laurence Codjia, WHO
  • Julianne Birungi, UNICEF

Materials: 

Webinar 4: Gender responsive approaches 2 – Make community engagement and social mobilization gender responsive and transformative


Date: Thurs 13 July 2023 15h-16h

Presenters:

Materials:

Webinar 5: Gender responsive approaches 3 – Engaging with men and promoting a family approach to transform gender norms

Date: Thurs 20 July 2023 15h-16h

Presenters:

  • Stephanie Shendale, Technical Officer, WHO/IVB
  • Shirin Heidari, Senior Gender Advisor, WHO 
  • Elizabeth Arlotti-Parish, Principal Technical Advisor, Jhpiego 
  • Alia Poonawala, Senior Manager, Private Sector, Gavi 
  • Archana Choudhary, Senior Director, GroupM Media India Pvt. Ltd 

Materials: