Putting intersectionality into practice in health systems research: Learning from Future Health Systems
This brief explores how the concept and theory of intersectionality has impacted the work within Future Health Systems, one of four Research Project Consortia within the RinGs partnership.
Intersectional analysis in health systems research is in its infancy. Future Health Systems’ and RinGs’ work in this area has been pioneering, simultaneously building capacity to understand the thinking that underpins this theory whilst using frameworks to apply it in various contexts. New insights into the causes of ill health and how to overcome them have been generated because of this process.
“To do intersectional work we need to understand power – it is not just a method for documenting things, it requires openness to doing things differently. We don’t need finger-pointing and judgements, we need studies that can demonstrate what this approach means in practice and further guidance on methodological issues. This includes reflections on our own positions. What can you do when there are difficult power dynamics? How do these relate to social, cultural and religious norms in the different settings?” Gerry Bloom, Institute of Development Studies, UK
Through a combination of a small grants programme, online and face-to-face capacity development interventions, the creation of practical tools to guide researchers, and academic publishing we increased the ability of individuals to reflect on gender and intersectionality and to apply this learning.
RinGs has found ways to enable and empower Future Health Systems’ researchers to conduct and report research that takes more nuanced views than before. This has impacted not only on the individuals that took part in the small grants programme but also the teams that they work with in their own institutions. They have spread the skills and learnings developed through their interactions with the RinGs network.
Future work will use intersectionality as a lens to explore whether community score cards, as a social accountability process, meet the needs of vulnerable populations, such as women with disabilities, including the extent to which
representatives from these groups engage in the process.
By Kate Hawkins and Linda Waldman