active· Health

Support to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion in the Health Sector (S2GESI)

Context: The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has supported health and social protection system development in Nepal since 1994. Significant progress has been made since the civil war ended in 2006, with notable reductions in maternal and infant mortality. However, societal gender stereotypes and discrimination remain pervasive, posing multiple challenges in the health sector. Inequalities in health access, coupled with corruption risks, deepen existing social tensions. Addressing these challenges requires enhancing institutional mechanisms, empowering vulnerable populations, and tailoring health services and insurance schemes to their needs, aiming to reduce disparities and improve overall health outcomes. Objective: The availability and accessibility of gender responsive health services and social protection provision for women and marginalized groups have improved at both the national and local levels. Approach: S2GESI supports the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) and selected municipalities in two provinces in implementing the National Strategy of the Ministry of Health and Population on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). It aims to make gender-responsive health services available and accessible for women and marginalized groups at both national and local levels. It focuses on three key areas: a) mainstreaming of the GESI strategy of the MoHP in municipal health management through demand-driven sector planning for gender-sensitive health services provisions. b) increasing health insurance coverage and access to good quality health services for wom-en and marginalized groups, facilitated by improved enrolment strategies and electronic birth registration to address the gender gap, c) implementing approaches to lower supply-side barriers to access health services, including gender-responsive action plans to increase utilisation of good quality health care services by marginalized and vulnerable population