Technical Brief 3: Stakeholder engagement for gender-responsive health research

This technical brief explores the importance of stakeholder engagement (SE) in advancing gender-responsive health research, emphasizing the inclusion of impacted communities, civil society organizations, rights advocates, service providers, and policymakers throughout the research process. It highlights SE as a critical approach to bridging the gap between academic research and real-world health outcomes, especially for marginalized populations. By engaging stakeholders from the outset, researchers can co-create more equitable, relevant, and transformative studies that address gendered health disparities. Drawing on examples from the Global South AI4COVID program, the brief illustrates how participatory approaches can enhance data quality, policy relevance, and the social impact of health research, while also outlining challenges such as time constraints, power imbalances, and sustaining commitment. Recommendations are provided to institutionalize SE as a core methodological and ethical practice in health research aimed at promoting gender equality and social justice.

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