Gender transformative programming: Community health workers as agents of social change – webinar recording

Watch the webinar recording here:

Subtitles are available on this video (press ‘play’ and then ‘cc’ at the bottom of the window).

View the slides here:

About the speakers [all open in new tabs]

• Professor Sabina Rashid from JPG School of Public Health at BRAC University spoke on the Bangladesh context. She gave a brief overview of the impact of gender norms on the mental wellbeing of health workers before exploring how certain strategies, including the BKASH digital payments system, have been used to attempt to alleviate pressures on health workers.
• Abriti Arjyal of HERD International, Nepal presented a short film produced by female community health volunteers in Nepal. She explained how the film not only depicts the everyday challenges the women face, but how it has helped alter community perspectives around their roles and had an empowering effect for all the women involved in its production. (Watch just the film plus the behind-the-scenes feature here.)
• Dr Wesam Mansour from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and ReBUILD for Resilience spoke on a study which explored the gendered aspects of health workers’ experiences in Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Lebanon and Nepal, drawing lessons on how health workers in fragile contexts might be supported in periods of shock or stress.
• Prossie Muyingo, a community health worker from Mityana district, Uganda. She was recognised as one of the 12 Heroines of Health at 2023 Women in Global Health’s event for her exceptional contributions to public health. Since 2019, she has delivered vital reproductive, maternal, and child health services to 186 households and played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing life-saving information and support.
• Professor Joanna Raven from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and ReBUILD for Resilience moderated the session.
• The session will begin with a welcome from Siyapah Surathumrong of Community Partners International who will introduce the webinar series.

Background

The global health workforce is deeply gendered, with women comprising the majority of community health workers (CHWs) worldwide. While CHWs often serve as trusted figures within their communities, they do so within systems that mirror and sometimes exacerbate broader gender-based inequalities. This is particularly evident in the informal nature of CHW work, where women frequently face low or no pay, limited job security, and minimal opportunities for career progression.

Despite their critical contributions, CHWs are too often expected to shoulder the burden of advancing gender equity in health systems without sufficient support, recognition, or protection. Gender transformative programming must therefore begin by addressing the structural inequities faced by CHWs themselves. It must centre their safety, agency, and professional development, while also recognising the potential of their everyday work to challenge harmful norms and promote inclusion.

This webinar explored how gender transformative approaches can reframe and redesign the role of CHWs, not as default gender equity interventions, but as skilled professionals who deserve meaningful investment, voice, and visibility. Drawing on field-based experiences, community-led models, and emerging research, the session will spotlight strategies for strengthening CHW systems in ways that are inclusive, empowering, and truly transformative.

Further information

Lots more on ReBUILD’s work with community health workers here.

There are recordings of the previous webinars in this series here:

• • Voices from the frontlines: Community health workers in conflict-affected communities
  • Nothing About Us Without Us: Centering CHWs in Health Research [opens a new tab]
  • The Role of Global Health Actors in Supporting Sustainable CHW Financing  [opens a new tab]
  • Frontline Resilience: How CHWs Are Responding to the Health Impacts of Climate Change [opens a new tab]