The new independent evaluation of the integration of gender equality in PAHO’s technical cooperation highlights both progress and challenges in integrating gender considerations across its programs. This evaluation is part of the PAHO Forward 2.0 initiative, which aims to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability within the Organization.
Conducted from February to November 2024, the evaluation assessed the integration of gender equality in PAHO’s technical cooperation from 2005 to 2023 across multiple countries, with in-depth studies in Colombia, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.
One key finding was that PAHO has introduced innovative approaches to technical cooperation that have strengthened Member States’ responses to gender-related health inequalities. These include initiatives in cancer prevention among adolescents, vaccine production for pregnant women, and gender-based violence during the perinatal period. However, the systematic integration of gender equality into PAHO’s planning processes and programs remains inconsistent, limiting the reach of its initiatives.
Another identified challenge is siloed work and limited resources for promoting gender equality in health. While PAHO’s Equity, Gender, Human Rights and Cultural Diversity Unit within the Department of Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity, has strengthened intersectoral approaches, broader institutional support is needed to ensure sustained progress.
Despite these challenges, PAHO’s advocacy efforts have led to concrete policy changes in some countries, such as the establishment of gender-focused departments within several health ministries, the adoption of new gender equality laws, and the greater inclusion of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities into public health programs.
As PAHO moves toward its 2026–2031 Strategic Plan, the evaluation offers key lessons to strengthen PAHO’s role in promoting gender equality and ensuring equitable health outcomes across the Region.
Read the full evaluation findings on the PAHO Digital Library.
