Georgetown Global Health Nigeria (GGHN) aims to improve health outcomes for men and women in the communities in which we work. Improving health outcomes for our various project target populations requires an understanding of gender-based needs, constraints, and opportunities for males, females, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations.

Gender inequality limits women’s access to information, decision-making power, social capital, health, education, and other development resources. It also places women and girls at a higher risk for gender-based violence. While gender inequality disproportionately harms women and girls, men and boys are also affected by harmful gender norms

Nigeria National Gender Policy, 2006

GGHN is committed to advancing gender equality through its diverse public health programs and research. By mainstreaming gender within the organization and through gender-transformative strategies, GGHN strives to continuously address gender-based inequalities that could hinder development progress.

Our Efforts

  • Institutional adoption of policies on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Workplace Sexual Harassment. Organizational policies are also reviewed through a Gender lens.
  • Training on Gender and Sexual diversity for all staff.
  • GGHN understands that a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing gender issues does not work and is therefore committed to conducting a project-level gender and social inclusion analysis for each of its projects to understand the gender impacts of the project within the implementing region.
  • Through our special intervention for the cVPV2 polio outbreak response, we are partnering with and leveraging Traditional Birth Attendants and their clientele to increase vaccination rates in security-challenged areas.
  • Through our HIV care and treatment program, we raise awareness of harmful gender/social/cultural norms that give rise to gender-based violence and provide clinical and community services for survivors of gender-based violence.
    • Between March 1st - September 30th, 2022, we were able to provide the minimum package of post-GBV clinical care in several of our care and treatment sites reaching 2209 survivors of sexual, emotional, and physical gender-based violence. 55 healthcare workers were trained on conducting clinical enquires for violence and providing first-line support (LIVES) for people who disclose experience of violence.

GGHN will improve gender and social inclusion efforts within its different programs by

    • Conducting community awareness and sensitization on negative socio-cultural norms that contribute to gender-based violence. This includes campaigns to mark 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, International Women’s Day, etc.
    • Advocating for and engaging in dialogue and multisectoral activities toward addressing gender and gender inequality as determinants of health
    • Engaging male role models within the community to serve as Gender and Inclusion champions and promote positive masculinity.