NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES
OF SOCIAL INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH
The Transformative Potential of an Intersectional Gender Lens
Welcome to Navigating Complexities of Social Innovations in Health: The Transformative Potential of an Intersectional Gender Lens. This platform is a testament to the commitment of TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases and Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) to catalyze positive change by integrating an intersectional gender approach into the fabric of health innovation.
WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER HERE
In line with TDR’s Intersectional Gender Research Strategy, three hubs of the SIHI network explored gender dimensions of social innovation in health projects at the community level. The aim was to generate evidence based lessons that can be used for knowledge production, research capacity strengthening, and policy recommendations. Learn more about their work here.
In February 2025, BMJ Innovations launched a special collection on Gender and Social Innovation, showcasing research from the three SIHI hubs. The collection highlights how community-led solutions are transforming healthcare, expanding access, and advancing health equity. Explore the full collection below.
Why Intersectional Gender Research Matters
IN social innovations in health
Understanding Complexity
Health challenges are multifaceted, and individuals experience them uniquely based on intersecting factors. Intersectional gender research unveils these complexities, providing a nuanced understanding essential for crafting effective, inclusive health solutions.
Promoting Equity
Gender intersects with other social factors such as socioeconomic status, geographic location or experience of racialization, influencing distinct experiences of health and illness. By understanding these intersections, we move closer to dismantling systemic inequities that persist in healthcare.
Guiding Social Innovation
Research is the compass that guides impactful social innovations. By integrating an intersectional gender approach, health initiatives become not only more responsive but also more attuned to the diverse needs of individuals and communities.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PROJECT
The UNICEF/UNDP/ World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) engaged with SIHI beginning in late 2021 in line with its Intersectional Gender Research Strategy which highlights strategic pathways to strengthen, develop and implement research and training with an intersectional gender lens. Recognizing the need to better understand the intersections of gender with other social stratifiers – such as sex, age, class, disability, ethnicity, among others – in the epidemiology, prevention and control of infectious diseases within low- and middle-income settings, TDR engaged three hubs: the Makerere University in Uganda, University of the Philippines-Manila, and Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM) in Colombia.
PHASE 1
The first phase of the project involved the following key activities: (a) a mapping exercise to identify which innovation cases were most adequate for analysis, (b) the development of an adapted Rapid Appraisal Checklist, (c) and the identification of locally adapted entry points, which could be potentially used in the further implementation of TDR’s intersectional gender research strategy. There were (d) consultations among the hubs which fostered collaboration and learning, and (e) audiovisual materials or briefs were created to synthesize all the activities.
PHASE 2
The second phase of this project started in March 2022. The primary objectives shared by all hubs were to (a) better understand and explore gender dimensions and its intersecting social stratifiers at the community level, wherein social innovations operate; (b) generate evidence-based lessons that be used for research capacity strengthening and for policy recommendations; and (c) to disseminate, promote and advocate for an inclusive research agenda. Each hub carried out their research in a manner that reflected their own contexts, challenges and opportunities.