FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18th, 2024
Media Contacts: Population Council – Joe Shaffner, Director of Communications, Population Council, jshaffner@popcouncil.org and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – Patrick Slavin, Senior Communications Associate, Data for Health Gender Equity Unit, pslavin@jhu.edu.
Baltimore, Maryland USA – A curated online repository of surveys and scales to measure constructs of gender, such as gender roles and norms, was launched today by the Data for Health Gender Equity Unit at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Population Council.
The surveys and scales provide high-quality and searchable evidence and data about gender disparities in research areas such as reproductive health; non-communicable diseases, including mental health; and gender-based violence.
“In collaboration with the Population Council, we are delighted to launch this expanded, updated repository,” said Michelle R. Kaufman, PhD, the Director of the Data for Health Gender Equity Unit at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Kaufman is an associate professor in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society with a joint appointment in International Health. “This resource is intended for use by researchers and program staff in the health, social, and behavioral science sectors. It is a vital tool to help validate original development papers, among other important research.”
“We are thrilled to have partnered with Johns Hopkins on the updated repository,” said Julie Pulerwitz, ScD., Project Director and Senior Advisor, Social and Behavioral Science Research at the Population Council. “In 2023, the Gender Equity Unit set out to curate a set of widely used gender scales and expand information about how the scales have been used beyond sexual and reproductive health outcomes. The Population Council, especially our team which created the original repository, is delighted to help launch this expanded, updated resource on its new home on the Gender Equity Unit’s website.”
The gender scales and surveys have been used in global social, health, and behavioral science research in the following topic areas: sexual and reproductive health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, gender-based violence, and other health systems strengthening research.
Dr. Kaufman added, “We intend this to be a living entity that evolves with time. We hope researchers and practitioners alike will find it a useful resource and will continue to add to it as more gender-focused measures are developed and tested.”
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About the Gender Equity Unit: The Data for Health (D4H) Gender Equity Unit is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and housed in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Our work aims to serve as a knowledge center and resource hub for all partners and countries in the D4H Initiative and beyond to integrate gender equity in their work, provide capacity-strengthening activities focused on gender equity for partner liaisons and key country players, and conduct research studies to demonstrate the importance of, barriers to, and strategies for advancing gender equity in global public health through data systems. Learn more at www.genderequity.org.
About the Population Council: The Population Council is a leading research organization dedicated to building an equitable and sustainable world that enhances the health and well-being of current and future generations. We generate ideas, produce evidence, and design solutions to improve the lives of people around the world. Learn more at www.popcouncil.org.
For further information, contact: Patrick Slavin, Senior Communications Associate, Data for Health Gender Equity Unit at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, +1 443 876-2295 or Joe Shaffner, Director of Communications, Population Council, +1 (202) 237-9401.