Abstract
Quantitative research is useful for answering 'how many' or 'how much' questions, while qualitative research helps answer 'why' and 'how' questions. Most research about health extension workers (HEWs) has been quantitative and few studies examine the experiences of HEWs themselves. This qualitative study draws attention to the gendered dynamics of human resources for health at the community level. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 14 HEWs (two FGDs in Afar Region and two in Southern Nations Nationality and Peoples Region), and interviews with 45 HEWs from Afar Region, SNNPR and Adwa (Tigray Region) were conducted to identify how gender issues affected their well-being. Questions were designed to explore personal safety, stress, autonomy, self-esteem, family, other social relationships, as we wanted to analyze the extent to which these gendered issues affected HEWs in their day-to-day work. By employing female HEWs, the Health Extension Program (HEP) has seen substantial gains in 'practical' gender needs by improving women's access to, and utilization of maternal and child health services. Although the HEP has the potential to be gender transformative by providing employment for HEWs, there is limited evidence that it 'strategically' advances women's position. Many HEWs had heavy workloads, received low pay relative to other public sector jobs and lacked opportunity to transfer or upgrade their skills and advance within the health workforce hierarchy. Qualitative research can provide complex descriptions of the social world to better understand what people such as HEWs say and the meanings they give, thus providing explanations for some health problems outside disciplinary boundaries.
Highlights
Quantitative research is useful for answering ‘how many’ or ‘how much’ questions
health extension workers (HEWs) in this study reported that they joined the Health Extension Program (HEP) to help their communities and because they had few other job opportunities
One HEW reported: Women prefer coming to see us at the health post rather than the health center because of the physical distance and because the health center asks for too much money
Summary
Quantitative research is useful for answering ‘how many’ or ‘how much’ questions. September 2018 much of the research about health extension workers (HEWs) in Ethiopia has tended to be quantitative such as [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]: 1. Most research about health extension workers (HEWs) has been quantitative and few studies examine the experiences of HEWs themselves. This qualitative study draws attention to the gendered dynamics of human resources for health at the community level. RESULTS: By employing female HEWs, the Health Extension Program (HEP) has seen substantial gains in ‘practical’ gender needs by improving women’s access to, and utilization of maternal and child health services. CONCLUSION: Qualitative research can provide complex descriptions of the social world to better understand what people such as HEWs say and the meanings they give, providing explanations for some health problems outside disciplinary boundaries
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
