International People’s Health University: Online Short Course on Gender, Justice & Health
Build capacities to address inequities from the lens of gender and intersectionality in order to achieve #HealthForAll!
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The last 19 months of the COVID 19 pandemic have clearly demonstrated the aggravation of existing inequalities and injustices within and across countries. The consequences of the pandemic pose critical challenges globally. Along with having a devastating impact on the social, cultural, economic, and public health systems of countries across the world, the COVID 19 pandemic is bringing to light a deeply problematic narrative of inequality, precipitated on the one hand by the sustained structures / oppressions of gender, caste, race, religion, citizenship, work, location, ability, sexual orientations, sexual expression, ethnicity, etc. and on the other, by neo-liberal global structures, pharmaceutical industries, global institutions and authoritarian states. It has increasingly become visible how socially constructed roles and intersectional identities not only affect risk of exposure to infection but also impact the individuals’ experiences of the kind of treatment received.
The pandemic clearly demonstrated how governments relinquish the responsibility of providing low cost, accessible, and quality health care, while private and corporatised health care which is often expensive is thus unavailable to the marginalized and vulnerable, of which girls and women, trans persons comprise a substantive number and who bear the brunt of it.
The need to deepen and expand the understanding of the socio-political and economic contexts that impact health is extremely urgent for all and particularly so for those at the margins of society in the in lower and middle income countries. An inter-sectional understanding and strategy is imperative to renew the long struggles, the hard – won rights that stand threatened. In this context the International People’s Health University (IPHU) has been planned to respond to the many requests that we have received over the past two years from various networks, students and activists to develop a comprehensive understanding and bring to their work perspectives and analysis of gender and justice in the context of health including sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The IPHU is being organised jointly by the Gender, Justice and Health Thematic Group of People’s Health Movement (PHM), Sama Resource Group for Women and Health and Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR).
The objective of the IPHU on gender, justice and health is to build the capacity of young girls women, men and transgender and LGBQI communities from the global south to address the inequities in health
from the lens of gender and intersectionality in order to achieve health for all particularly in the current pandemic context and beyond. The course will broaden understanding of the intersections of the social determinants of health including analytical frameworks, forms of struggle, and mobilisation in addressing the social determinants of health;
Due to the pandemic the IPHU will happen online, however, the pedagogy for virtual learning will include sharing, exchange, learning. The IPHU will also provide a learning space and a meeting point for health activists that aims to empower its participants, develop capacities and enhance action and strategies that contribute to strengthen the movement and the work and struggles for the right to health. It will also provide an opportunity to become a part of PHM which believes in Health For All.
The IPHU Course will cover Six modules:
- Concepts of Gender, gender identities, intersectionality, sexuality, sexual identities and hierarchies;
- Sexual & Reproductive Health Rights/ Reproductive Justice;
- Gender Based Violence;
- Mental health and well-being;
- Gender and Health Care Technologies & Pandemics;
- Gender and Climate Justice
Each module will have gender, rights, equity and intersectionality as a cross cutting theme. Each module will focus on conceptual clarity on the topic, theory along with building the capacities of the participants on research, advocacy, networking and movement building. We will use a range of interdisciplinary concepts, tools, suggested readings and pedagogies including Art and other media forms to understand and analyse these topics under the larger umbrella of Health for All.
Pedagogy will ensure substantive time for discussions and interventions of the participants during the thematic sessions, and also for presentations towards enhanced participation. The IPHU will be interspersed with spaces for participants to share and learn about their respective contexts, strategies and challenges, as well as through interface with representatives from diverse movements.
Dates: 29 October – 20 November 2021
(29 & 30 October | 6 November | 12 & 13 November | 19 & 20 November)
Time & Duration: Three hour session each day from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm (Indian Standard Time) / 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm (Philippines Standard Time).
Who Can Apply
Young women, men and trans-persons from health networks, community based organisations; women’s organisations; representatives from disability, LGBI and other social movements; health & legal rights activists; students; researchers and medical professionals, nursing professionals and health journalists.
Language: English
Mode: Virtual / Zoom (access to computer / Laptop / Smartphone with reliable internet mandatory)
How to apply
Apply online by filling up this application form on the Sama website.
In case you are not able to apply online, you may download the form and email it after filling as per the instructions provided in the form.
Applications are due on or before 10 October 2021
Applications will go through a screening process and selected participants will be notified by email. Selected participants have to attend all the Modules. The course will involve pre-reading and assignments.
A certificate after completion of IPHU course will be awarded to the participants.