In supporting the Government of Ethiopia’s implementation of its Health Sector Transformation plan, the USAID Transform: Primary Health Care Activity embraces the importance of gender analysis in primary health care. The Activity found that many primary health care units struggled to conduct gender analyses in their units as outlined in their action plans following the Ministry of Health gender mainstreaming and health training. In response, the Activity implemented targeted follow-up mentorship and training on gender analysis and action planning across health centers and woreda health offices in the Activity’s five implementation regions: Amhara, Oromia, Sidama, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), and Tigray.  

The Activity’s approach has proven effective, with a four-fold increase in the number of health centers and Woreda Health Offices conducting gender analysis. There was also an increase in health centers and Woreda Health Offices integrating these gender analysis findings in their annual plans with activities like establishing a gender-based violence service coordination forum, promoting women’s leadership within the health center, and analyzing sex-disaggregated service delivery data. This technical brief shares the processes and lessons learned from the Activity’s approach to delivering gender and health training and mentorship on gender analysis and action planning to scale up the effective approach across Ethiopia’s primary health care system. 

Photo Credit: USAID Transform: Primary Health Care