ReBUILD at ISQua 2025
17 September 2025
If you are at the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) Conference [opens new tab] in São Paulo, Brazil from 12 – 15 October, be sure to attend ReBUILD’s session.
Using participatory research to address gender norms of female close-to-community healthcare providers in fragile settings: a cross-country analysis
15 October 2025 @ 10:45-12:15 BST
R37-38 Salvador 1+2
Session: Short Orals – Equitable and integrated care for healthy communities
Wesam Mansour of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is speaking on our work with female close-to-community health care providers (CTC). They play a vital role in delivering essential healthcare services, particularly in fragile and underserved settings. However, they face significant gendered challenges stemming from restrictive norms, power imbalances within health systems, and sociocultural expectations that limit their effectiveness and agency. This study synthesises cross-country experiences from Lebanon and Nepal, exploring how participatory action research (PAR) and co-production approaches can address harmful gender norms, enhance the agency of female CTC providers, and promote a more equitable and inclusive health system. The study identifies key enablers and barriers, providing actionable insights to strengthen the role of female CTC providers and support sustainable community-level health system resilience.