Significant progress has been made in understanding effective care reform strategies. However, less is known about gender issues and care reform – or, at least, the information is not always easy to find. This article explores the importance of addressing gender in care reform and examines some of the key issues that might arise.
Why is it important to think about gender equity for care reform? Gender-equitable relationships in the home, supportive social norms in the community, and expectations and opportunities for all children of all sexual orientations and gender identities, so that children and adolescents can thrive and reach their potential.
Gender inequities and harmful gender norms underpin some of the risk factors that underlie separation of children of all sexual orientations and gender identities from their families. Here are some of the gendered risk factors that we have come across in our work or in the literature:
- Gender norms such as lower pay, stigma, and lack of support can make it harder for female caregivers, especially single women, divorced women, elderly grandmothers, adolescent mothers, to provide for their child/ren and can put them at risk for placing them in alternative care;
- Gender norms that incline boys to get in conflict with the law and/or girls into early sexual activities, leading to boys encountering the criminal justice system and being placed in juvenile detention or girls being separated and placed in alternative care;
- Gender-based violence in the home leading to family dysfunction and breakdown, resulting in children being placed in protective care;
- Taboos and stigmas against children and adolescents who do not conform to local gender norms leading to children leaving their families/homes and communities or violence against children.
It is still often hard to know the most basic information on the gender of children currently in residential care – knowing if a certain gender is more likely to be placed in residential care than another can give clues about possible gender drivers.
Gender inequality has a significant impact on children’s experiences within and after care, influencing areas such as:
- Physical, sexual, and emotional violence within residential care facilities is influenced by the child’s gender – are boys frequently physically beaten and maltreated, are girls at risk of sexual exploitation, are children who identify as LGBTIQ with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI) at increased risk of all forms of violence?
- Does the child’s gender influence their placement options – in many settings, it may be easier to find foster placements for girls compared to boys because they may be seen as ‘easier’ to look after, or challenges in finding placements for children who are non-binary or transgender? Do laws and policies uphold gender norms that limit placements, for example restrictions on placement of children with unmarried adults or only heterosexual adults?
- Access to life skills for all children in residential care is often limited – access to sexual and reproductive health information and services that are inclusive of diverse gender identities is essential for all, as is access to economic activities that enables children of legal working age and of all genders to thrive economically and socially.
Gender issues must form part of the care reform system strengthening approach. The care reform workforce may depend on unpaid female labor or on people who are not trained in identifying and addressing gender-based violence or other harms because of unequal gender norms.
Some examples of integration of a gender equity perspective in care reform programming include:
- Case management systems that support the needs of children and caregivers of all gender identities. Child and family assessments and support plans consider gender sensitive dynamics. Families receive counselling, coaching to improve communication, parenting education, other support, and referrals, which might include referrals for gender-based violence services.
- Promotion of gender equity in family resource managementand child care responsibilities through inclusive family strengthening approaches and programming like:
- Financial literacy classes that encourage dialogue and joint decision-making between caregivers, discussions of the specific risks children face because of their gender, such as access to education, the risk of child marriage, FGM/C, or child labor;
- Savings and loans associations or similar, providing a safe place for households to save and borrow to increase their income and resilience and increase economic inclusion – introducing a reflection on shared child care and addressing family violence are important;
- Parenting programs that involve both female and male caregivers are important in terms of practicing healthy family communication and bringing equity to child rearing tasks within the family. They are found to reduce the risk of family violence, which is often gender based. Positive parenting groups encourage reflection on how children of all genders are cared for, focus on the positive contribution of men and women to family life, and encourage girls’ education and protection from harm in contexts where gender norms may be especially harmful towards girls.