In order to address the major issues related to gender which have a strong bearing on the health of women and men, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will soon begin research in the broad areas of 'Gender and Health'.

The priority areas of research include the providers/health system related issues like responsiveness of health facilities to gender issues; feasibility of training health care providers to address gender and violence issues; providers perspectives on gender issues in health care; and social consequences of inter-sex disorders. The priority areas of research in community related issues are barriers for women to seek health care; perspectives of men and women on gender matters; adolescents and youths attitudes and practices about gender and social norms; and workplace sexual harassment issues.

Senior officials in the ICMR are of the view that to address these issues related to gender a multi-pronged, multi-sectorial, including public health response, strategies are required.

The ICMR's initiative in this regard is of significance as sex and gender are considered major determinants of health. The interaction of these two results into differential risks and vulnerability to ill health, health seeking behavior, treatment and care, health outcome, and impact for men and women.

Senior ICMR officials said that the role of gender in public health is now widely recognized and forms part of many programmes. Therefore, it is important to have a gender based, instead of sex based, analysis on a continuous basis to monitor/understand the situation in relation to these gender issues and accordingly tailor gender sensitive service and research programmes which lead to gender balanced development.

Officials said that major issues related to gender which have a strong bearing on the health of women and men are gender related violence, rape and sexual violence, forced/non-consensual sex/unwanted sex, gender and reproductive health, work place sexual harassment, immoral trafficking and forced prostitution, child abuse both sexual and physical, son preference, female foeticide and discrimination between boys and girls.

Gender and sex are, most often, used interchangeably, though the two are different but related constructs. While sex is a biological concept, gender refers to socially determined roles and norms governing the life style of the two sexes. Gender influences the control men and women have over the determinants of their health e.g. economic position, social status, access to resources and services and their behaviours.