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December  2015                                            

Mainstreaming  Gender  in  Health  Supply  Chains  IAPHL  Online  Discussion  Analysis  

                                               

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Contents      Executive  Summary  ………………………………………………………………………………………………….5  

Background  ……………………………………………………………………….………………………...5  Methodology  …………………………………………………………….………………………………….5  Results  ………………………………………………………..…………………………………………….….6  Discussion  …………………………………………………………………………………………………….6  Conclusion  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………6  

Acknowledgements    …………………………………………………………………………………………………8  Acronyms  …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9  Background  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………10  Literature  review  ……………………………………………………………………………………………….…..12  

Women  in  humanitarian  logistics  …………………………………………….…………………12  Gender  and  logistics  skills/performance  …………………………………………….………12  Barriers  and  opportunities  to  women  in  humanitarian  logistics  ………………….15  What  needs  to  be  done?  …………………………………………….………………………………16  

Methodology  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….19  Design  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19  Analysis  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………20  

Results  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………22     Thematic  analysis  ……………………………………………………………………………………….22       Theme  1:  The  impact  of  gender  on  health  supply  chain  delivery  …….22       Theme  2:  Mainstreaming  gender  in  health  supply  chains  ……………….24  

Theme   3:   The   impact   of   HR   policies   on   gender   balance   in   health  supply  chains  ………………………………………………………………………………….27  

Discussion  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………31  Conclusion  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..33  Recommendations  for  future  research……………………………………………………………………34  Bibliography  …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..35  Appendix  ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..38  

Appendix  A:  Detailed  Evidence  Brief  for  Theme  1  –  The  Impact  of  Gender  on  Health  Supply  Chain  Delivery  ………………………………………………………………………38  Appendix  B:  Detailed  Evidence  Brief  for  Theme  2  –  Mainstreaming  Gender  in  Health  Supply  Chains  ………………………………………………………………………………….40  Appendix  C:  Detailed  Evidence  Brief  for  Theme  3  –  The  Impact  of  HR  Policies  on  Gender  Balance  in  Health  Supply  Chains  ……………………………………………….42  

  Appendix  D:  Participant  Responses  for  Theme  1  …………………………………………44     Appendix  E:  Participant  Responses  for  Theme  2  …………………………………………47     Appendix  F:  Participant  Responses  for  Theme  3  …………………………………………54        List  of  figures  Figure   1:   Results   to   the   question:   Do   you   consider   women’s   different   skillsets  advantageous  for  supply  chain  management?  ……………………………………………………….14  Figure  2:  Reasons  for  a  paucity  of  female  humanitarian  logisticians  ………………………15  Figure  3:  Impact  of  Human  Resources  on  Supply  Chain  Performance  …………………….17  Figure  4:  Ways  of  attracting  women  to  the  industry  ………………………………………………18  

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Figure  5:  List  of  countries  represented  by  discussion  responses  …………………………….22  Figure  6:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  1  ………………………………………………………..23  Figure  7:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  2,  question  1  ……………………………………..24  Figure  8:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  2,  question  2  ……………………………………..26  Figure  9:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  3,  question  1  ……………..………………………28  Figure  10:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  3,  question  2  ……………………………………29    

                                       Recommended  Citation:    Steele,  P.,  Brown,  A.,  Kalungu-­‐Banda,  A.  (2015):  Mainstreaming  Gender  in  Health  Supply  Chains,  IAPHL  Online  Discussion  Analysis              

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Executive  Summary    Background:    The   field   of   humanitarian   logistics   and   health   supply   chain   management   has  remained  the  domain  of  men,  despite  a  seemingly  neutral  gender  balance,  and  even  a  tilt  in  favour  of  women  within  many  NGOs  (Tatham  and  Kovács,  2009).  As  such,  the  question  of  why  there  are  so  few  women  in  health  supply  chains  and  humanitarian  logistics   has   recently   risen   to   prominence   within   the   health   logistics   literature,  particularly  when  it  comes  to  the  last  mile  due  to  the  majority  of  beneficiaries  being  women  and  children  (WISE,  2006).      The   topic   was   initiated   by   Pam   Steele,   the   director   of   Pamela   Steele   Associates  (PSA),  a  strategic  consulting,  research  and  training  company  dedicated  to  improving  supply  chain  management  within  the  health  and  humanitarian  sectors  in  developing  countries.  PSA   is  a  member  of   the  People  that  Deliver   (PtD)   initiative,  under  which  this   project   was   completed.   PtD   brings   together   a   whole   host   of   international  stakeholders  with  expertise  in  humanitarian  logistics  and  supply  chain  management  to  offer  opinions  and  experiences  on  this  issue  of  gender.  Discussions  took  place  via  the  International  Association  of  Public  Health  Logisticians  (IAPHL),  which  provided  an  online   forum   of   more   than   3,000   members   with   whom   questions   of   gender   and  health  supply  chain  management  could  be  posed  and  subsequently  discussed.      Methodology:    In  the  period  7th  to  25th  September  2015,  three  themes  and  an  accompanying  set  of  2-­‐3   seeding  questions  were  presented   to   the   IAPHL   community  of  practice   via   the  discussion  forum.  Each  of  these  was  open  to  responses  for  4  days.    The  themes  discussed  were:  

1. The  impact  of  gender  on  health  supply  chain  delivery  2. Mainstreaming  gender  in  health  supply  chains  3. The  impact  of  HR  policies  on  gender  balance  in  health  supply  chains  

 Three  experts  were  asked   to  prepare  a  2-­‐page  content  brief  with  a   short  personal  biography,  background  information  to  the  week’s  discussion,  a  set  of  questions  and  suggestions   for   further   reading.  Each  week,  one  moderator  would   take   the   lead   in  creating   discussion   amongst   the   IAPHL   community   on   their   particular   theme.   The  moderators  were  also  encouraged   to  engage   in   the  discussions   in  order   to  ensure  the   conversation   remained  on   track,   to   answer   any  questions   and   to  promote   the  sharing  of  information.      At  the  close  of  each  week’s  discussion,  a  summary  of  the  responses  was  developed  using   the   process   of   thematic   analysis   and   this  was   then   distributed   to   the   IAPHL  community.        

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Results:    With   a   total   of   32   responses   from   13   different   countries,   this   online   discussion  captured  a   variety  of   viewpoints   from   individuals  who  occupy  a   range  of  positions  within   health   supply   chains   including   pharmacists,   programme   managers,   senior  advisers,  supply  chain  consultants  and  programme  directors.    Several  ideas  emerged  during  the  thematic  analysis  for  each  of  the  three  weeks  and  these  were  then  used  to  guide  and  structure  the  production  of  the  summaries  given  to  participants,  and  also  presented  in  this  section  of  the  report.      Discussion:    Results   from   this   study   are   aligned  with   the  wider   literature   base  which   suggests  that  there  continues  to  be  relatively  few  female  humanitarian   logisticians   in  health  supply  chains,  and  this  is  particularly  worrying  given  that  responding  to  the  gender-­‐specific  requirements  of  end  beneficiaries  is  central  to  the  overall  humanitarian  aim  (Tatham  and  Kovács,  2009).   Indeed,  a  number  of   IAPHL  members  offered  personal  experiences   of   working   alongside   relatively   few   women   in   their   role   as   a   male  logistician,  or  being  the  sole  female  in  a  room  full  of  men.      This   study   also   joins   a   growing   body   of   research  which   stresses   that   the   different  skillsets   possessed   by   men   and   women   are   perceived   to   be   an   advantage   to   the  overall   performance   of   humanitarian   supply   chains   (Min   et   al.,   1995;   Lowe   and  Kroeck,   1996;   WISE,   2006;   Hoag,   2008).   Nevertheless,   barriers   certainly   exist   to  female   participation   in   humanitarian   logistics   and   participants   in   this   research  offered  an  abundance  of  examples  which  largely  correspond  with  those  mentioned  in  existing  studies  (e.g.  WISE,  2006;  Tatham  and  Kovács,  2009).  In  short,  there  is  still  a  great  deal  of  work   to  be  done   to  change   the  attitudes  of   society   in  general,  and  also  of  those  involved  in  health  supply  chains  in  order  to  see  more  women  working  as  humanitarian   logisticians  –  but  at   the   same   time,   the  discussions   indicated   that  through  cooperation  and  over  time,  this  is  not  completely  out  of  reach.    Conclusion:    The  IAPHL  online  discussion  forum  has  proved  to  be  a  useful  site  in  which  to  engage  the   supply   chain   and   global   health   logistics   community   on   the   complex   issue   of  gender  in  humanitarian  logistics.  The  forum  discussions  underlined  the  existence  of  a  persisting   imbalance   in   the   gender   of   health   supply   chain   staff,   with   barriers   to  greater  female  participation  including  the  difficulty  of  balancing  work  and  family  life,  as  well  as  the  general  perception  of  logistics  as  a  domain  for  men,  being  particularly  troublesome.  Organisational   transformation   has   been   argued   as   central   to   getting  more  women  into  humanitarian   logistics  and  several  participants   in  this  study  urge  that   codes   of   conduct   need   to   be   in   place   at   every   stage   of   the   application,  employment  and  managerial  processes.  It  is  important  to  understand  that  policies  in  the  workplace  that  promote  gender  equality  will  not   lead  to   immediate  changes   in  the   way   women   are   viewed.   But   there   are   signs   of   positive   change   within   some  

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organisations  and  the  field  of  humanitarian  logistics  needs  to  take  note  of  these  and  work   in   unison   to   ensure   women   contribute   their   unique   and   valuable   skillsets  within  humanitarian  logistics.  The  underlying  message  of  this  research  is  not  to  say  that  women  are  better  suited  to  working  in  health  logistics  than  men,  but  that  both  have  different  skills  which  are  needed  if  the  most  effective  service  is  to  be  provided  to  the  end  beneficiary.  

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Acknowledgements    This  activity  was  made  possible  by  the  co-­‐operation  of  the  International  Association  of   Public   Health   Logisticians.   Pamela   Steele   Associates   Ltd.   (PSA)   worked   with   Dr  Andrew   Brown,   the   Executive   Manager   of   People   that   Deliver   (PtD),   and   Aggie  Kalungu-­‐Banda   of   BBS   Consulting,   who   provided   their   collective   expertise   as  moderators  for  the  discussion.  Dave  Paprocki,  John  Snow,Inc.  USAID/DELIVER  Project  and   IAPHL   secretariat   who   provided   professional   support   to   the   moderators.  Professor   Peter   Tatham,   Professor   of   Humanitarian   Logistics,   Griffith   Business  School;  Professor  Gyöngyi  Kovács,  Erkko  Professor  in  Humanitarian  Logistics,  Hanken  University;   and   Dr   Andrew   Brown   were   extremely   helpful   in   giving   advice   on   the  writing  of  this  report.  The  report  itself  was  written  and  produced  by  Katie  Agius,  PSA  Research  and  Consultancy  Officer.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Acronyms      BPharm     Bachelor  of  Pharmacy    CILT       Chartered  Institute  of  Logistics  and  Transport  CV       Curriculum  Vitae          DBA       Doctor  of  Business  Administration  DevAid       Development  Aid  DevEx       Development  Ex  DRC       Democratic  Republic  of  the  Congo  GB       Great  Britain  HR       Human  Resources  IAPHL       International  Association  of  Public  Health  Logisticians  ICRC       International  Committee  of  the  Red  Cross  INGO       International  Nongovernmental  Organisation  NGO       Non-­‐governmental  Organisation  PHC       Primary  Health  Centre  PhD       Doctor  of  Philosophy  PtD       People  that  Deliver  PSA       Pamela  Steele  Associates  SCM       Supply  Chain  Management  UK       United  Kingdom  UNFPA       United  Nations  Population  Fund  UNICEF     United  Nations  Children’s  Fund  USA       United  States  of  America  WISE       Women’s  Initiative  for  Supply  Chain  Excellence  YWCA       Young  Women  Christian  Association    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Background    The   field   of   humanitarian   logistics   and   health   supply   chain   management   has  remained  the  domain  of  men,  despite  a  tilt  in  favour  of  women  well  in  excess  of  50%  within   many   Non-­‐governmental   Organisations   (NGOs)   (WISE,   2006;   Tatham   and  Kovács,  2009).  As  such,  the  question  of  why  there  are  so  few  female  logisticians  has  recently  risen  to  prominence  within  the  health  logistics  literature,  particularly  when  it   comes   to   the   last   mile   due   to   the   majority   of   beneficiaries   being   women   and  children   (WISE,   2006).   Would   the   presence   of   more   women   within   health   supply  chains   improve   performance?   What   is   the   link   between   gender   and   logistics  performance?  What  stops  women  from  entering  the  profession?  What  needs  to  be  done   to   address   these   gender-­‐related   issues?   Please   note   that   in   this   paper,   the  terms  “humanitarian  logistics”  and  “health  supply  chains”  are  used  interchangeably.      Existing  research  emphasises  the  valuable  contributions  that  both  male  and  female  logisticians  can  make  to  meeting  the  needs  of  those  impacted  by  disasters  (ibid),  and  this   implies   that   more   needs   to   be   done,   particularly   within   organisations  themselves,   to   change   perceptions   and   encourage   women   into   humanitarian  logistics.   This   is   a   key   aspect   of   ensuring   that   the   needs   of   beneficiaries   are  appropriately  met  and  that  the  logistics  workforce  at  its  most  efficient  and  effective.      Pamela   Steele   Associates   (PSA)   is   a  strategic   consulting,   research   and   training  company  dedicated   to   improving   supply   chain  management  within   the   health   and  humanitarian   sectors   in   developing   countries.   It   provides   sustainable   solutions   to  build   in-­‐country   capacity   at   individual   and   organisational   levels   in   order   to   reduce  their   dependency   on   external   support.   Further,   PSA   is   a   female-­‐owned   small  business,   founded   by  Pamela   Steele  in   2013.   It   is   based   in   Oxford   in   the   United  Kingdom  and  works  with  international  NGOs,  the  United  Nations,  and  governments.    PSA   is   a   member   of   the   People   that   Deliver   (PtD)   initiative,   and   this   project   was  completed  with   key   contributions   from   the   executive   director,   Dr   Andrew   Brown.  The   People   that   Deliver   (PtD)   initiative   is   a   broad   coalition   of   organisations   and  global   stakeholders   who   possess   expertise   in   supply   chain   management   (SCM),  including   international   organisations,   governments,   NGOs,   donors,   academic  institutions,   technical   agencies,   professional   associations   and   the   private   sector.  Members  strive  for  a  world  in  which  national  supply  chain  workforces  are  planned,  financed,   developed   and   supported   in   a   way   that   promotes   equal,   fair   and  sustainable  access  to  the  medical  supplies  and  services  necessary  for  optimal  health  outcomes.   As   such,   the   PtD   mission   is:   “to   build   global   and   national   capacity   to  implement  evidence-­‐based  approaches  to  plan,  finance,  develop,  support,  and  retain  the   national   workforces   needed   for   the   effective,   efficient,   and   sustainable  management  of  health  supply  chains.”1      Providing  a  mechanism  through  which  discussions  can  take  place,  the  International  Association   of   Public   Health   Logisticians   (IAPHL)   is   committed   to   strengthening  

                                                                                                               1  http://www.peoplethatdeliver.org/content/vision-­‐mission    

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public   health   supply   chain   management   by   encouraging   the   professional  development   of   public   health   logisticians.   Members   are   brought   together   via   an  online  discussion   forum   in  which  participants   can  post  questions   related   to   supply  chains   and   humanitarian   logistics   and   receive   answers   and   opinions   from   experts  and   colleagues.   At   the   time   of   writing   this   report,   the   membership   of   the   IAPHL  exceeded   3,000,   drawn   from   more   than   120   countries2,   and   this   leads   to   rich,  insightful  and  diverse  exchanges  of  views.      The   online   discussions   which   formed   the   basis   of   this   research   were   designed   to  encourage  interactions  and  debates  from  a  number  of  different  health  supply  chain  stakeholders,  all  of  whom  have  had  different  experiences   that   reflect   the  different  organisations  they  have  been  a  part  of,  and  the  various  national  contexts  from  which  they  originate  and   in  which   they  are  working.  The   results  are  perceived   to  make  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  existing   limited   literature  on  gender  and  humanitarian  logistics,   and   they   also   serve   to   highlight   the   ongoing   imperative   that   all  humanitarian   logistic   and   health   supply   chain   stakeholders   should   work   together  systematically  to  develop  and  improve  the  numbers  and  capabilities  of  female  field-­‐based  humanitarian  logisticians.      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                     

                                                                                                               2  http://iaphl.org/membership/maps-­‐and-­‐stats/    

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Literature  Review    Before  the  findings  of  this  research  can  be  presented,   it   is  relevant  to  examine  the  existing   literature  on  matters  of  gender  and  health  supply  chains  as   it   is   from  here  that   this   project   has   emerged,   and   which   it   subsequently   sought   to   develop   and  improve.    Women  in  humanitarian  logistics    Whilst   humanitarian   logistics   in   general   has   gained   increased   academic   attention,  there   is   a   distinct   lack  of   literature  which   examines   gender   issues   in   humanitarian  logistics   and   health   supply   chains   (Kovács   and   Spens,   2009;   Tatham   and   Kovács,  2009).   This   is   of   particular   concern   given   that   responding   to   the   gender-­‐specific  requirements  of  end  beneficiaries  is  central  to  the  overall  humanitarian  aim  (Tatham  and   Kovács,   2009).   Indeed,   the   role   of   a   humanitarian   logistician   starts   with  evaluating  the  requirements  of  both  male  and  female  beneficiaries,  ensuring  goods  are  delivered  to  address  those  needs,  and  guaranteeing  all  beneficiaries  access  (ibid).  The  gender  of  the  logistician  undoubtedly  impacts  upon  all  of  the  above,  leading  to  mounting  calls  for  a  greater  number  of  females  in  the  field  (Min  et  al.,  1995;  WISE,  2006;  Silverstein,  2008).    The  link  between  logistics  and  gender  is  also  to  be  found  within  the  business  context  itself  where   issues   of   female   representation   in   logistics,   their   career   opportunities  and   their   leadership   experience   lead   to   questions   regarding   the   logistics   skills   and  performances   that   are   needed   by   each   individual   logistician   (Tatham   and   Kovács,  2009).   Evidently,   the   question   of   why   there   are   so   few   female   humanitarian  logisticians,  despite   the  majority  of   staff   in  many   such  organisations  being   female,  demands   further   investigation   to   understand   the   barriers   to   females  who   seek   to  become  logisticians.  Successfully  dismantling  these  has  the  potential  to  improve  the  overall   performance   of   aid   organisations,   as   judged   by   their   ability   to   meet   the  needs  of  end  beneficiaries.      Gender  and  logistics  skills/performance      Given  that  the  overarching  priority  of  humanitarian  logistics  is  to  meet  the  needs  of  “end   beneficiaries”   (Thomas   and   Mizushima,   2005),   a   number   of   studies   have  identified   a   series   of   competencies   which   any   “good”   logistician   should   possess,  regardless  of   their  gender   (Gammelgaard  and  Larson,  2001;  van  Hoek  et  al.,  2002;  Mangan   and   Christopher,   2005).   Indeed,   Sheffi   and   Klaus   (1997)   observe   that  “logisticians   should   be   equipped   to   set   up   supply   chains   that   not   only   respond   to  existing   situations   but   also   are   able   to   change   and   adapt”   (p.   18).   One   way   of  classifying   the   requirements   of   logisticians   is   under   the   terms   ‘skills’   and  ‘competencies’   (Bramming,   1998),   the   former   referring   to   general,   context-­‐independent   knowledge,   and   the   latter   covering   context-­‐dependent,   experience-­‐based  knowledge  which  can  be  maintained  by  workers  remaining  on  the   job  (Witt,  1999).   Wouters   and   Wilderom   (2008)   go   one   step   further   and   link   the   different  skillsets  required  of  a  logistician  to  the  overall  performance  of  an  organisation.    

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 However,  to  not  explore  the  gendered  dimension  of  logistics  performance  would  be  to  neglect  the  positive  differences  between  the  skillsets  of  males  and  females  which  can   be   recognised   as   an   asset   to   humanitarian   responses.   It   is   important   to   avoid  pitting   men   against   women   in   a   contest   of   ‘who   is   better?’;   rather,   beyond   the  logistics   literature,   a   growing   number   of   studies   highlight   that   men   and   women  possess   different   skillsets   and   that   it   is   a   mix   of   technical   skill,   passion   and  perseverance  which  makes  logisticians  effective  in  their  work  (WISE,  2006).      From   a   biological   perspective,   Goldstein   et   al.   (2001)   examined   different   parts   of  male  and  female  brains  and  found  that  women’s  brain  volumes  were  greater  in  the  medial  and  frontal  paralimbic  cortices,  areas  usually  associated  with  problem-­‐solving  and  decision-­‐making  (Hoag,  2008),  suggesting  that  women  might  be  better  placed  to  perform   such   tasks  within   supply   chains.   Added   to   this,   studies  which   focused   on  gender   and   leadership   found   that   females   are   more   likely   to   adopt   a  transformational   leadership   style   (Bass   and   Avolio,   1994;   Sarros   et   al.,   2001),   as  opposed  to  a  transactional  one,  with  the  former  found  to  be  more  effective  (Lowe  and  Kroeck,  1996).      Min  et  al.  (1995)  also  conducted  a  more  practical  assessment  of  how  gender  impacts  on  individual  supply  chain  performances  and  found  that  situations  involving  mixed-­‐gender  interactions  were  more  likely  to  “soften”  the  negotiation.  If  negotiation  skills  are  considered  to  be  significant  for  logisticians,  a  lack  of  female  presence  may  have  an   overall   negative   effect   on   logistics   performance   (Tatham   and   Kovács,   2009).  Further,   given   that   the   majority   of   beneficiaries   are   women   and   children   (WISE,  2006),   it   is  often  more  appropriate   for   female   logisticians   to  be  present   in   the   last  mile,   be   it   for   cultural   and   religious   reasons   and   also   when   it   comes   to  communicating   with   beneficiaries   and   forecasting   to   meet   certain   needs   (WISE,  2006;  Tatham  and  Kovács,  2009).      An   example   of   gender   insensitivity   in   humanitarian   logistics   was   seen   in   the  aftermath   of   the   Indian   Ocean   tsunami   of   2004   where   “the   distribution   of  underwear,  bras  and  panties  was  carried  out  publicly,  with  embarrassing  comments  about  which   sizes  were   appropriate   for  which  women”   (Silverstein,   2008,   p.   156).  Not  only  this,  but  the  distribution  of  sanitary  items  was  controlled  by  male  officials  who  gave  them  out  one  at  a  time,  forcing  women  to  go  back  repeatedly  to  ask  for  more   (Steele,   2014).   Further,   and   a   particularly   striking   example   of   a   gender  insensitive  response  to  a  humanitarian  disaster,  was  the  purchase  of  poorly  designed  items  such  as  translucent  tents  which  showed  when  females  were  inside  alone,  thus  heightening   the   risk   of   sexual   violence   (WISE,   2006).   In   short,   gender   sensitivity  remains   a   challenge   in   humanitarian   logistics   and   it   is   argued   that   this   situation  would  be  ameliorated  by   the  presence  of   female   logisticians  who  would  be  better  placed  to  meet  the  needs  of  female  beneficiaries.    Surveys   carried   out   amongst   logisticians   have   also   revealed   clear   perceptions   that  the  skills  of  men  and  women  are  different  and  that  those  of  the  latter  may  be  better  suited   to   certain   tasks.   In   the   Council   of   Supply   Chain  Management   Professionals  

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(CSCMP)  ‘women  in  logistics’  survey  carried  out  in  2006,  of  915  female  participants,  92%  saw  themselves  as  good  planners,  66%  as  good  at  setting  targets  and  sticking  to  them,  and  94%  as  good  at  multitasking  (CSCMP,  2006).  In  another  survey  conducted  by   O’Marah   (2013),   although   small   in   scope,   there   was   overwhelming   agreement  amongst  both  women   (75%)  and  men   (63%)   that   the  natural   skillsets  between   the  two  sexes  were   fundamentally  different  and,   furthermore,   the  majority  considered  women’s  skillsets  as  advantageous  for  SCM  (see  Figure  1).    

 

 

Given   that   there   has   been   a   set   of   skills   identified  within   the   literature  which   are  particularly  useful  to  a  good  logistician,  it  is  inevitable  that  these  be  viewed  through  a  gender  lens  (Tatham  and  Kovács,  2009).  If  women  are  better  at  certain  tasks,  there  is  evidently  a  need  to  address  the  relative  lack  of  females  in  humanitarian  logistics.  In  short,  there  is  a  need  for  both  male  and  female  logisticians  as  both  have  key  roles  to  play  in  meeting  the  needs  of  end  beneficiaries  by  virtue  of  their  differing  skillsets  (WISE,  2006).                

Figure  1:   Results   to   the  question:  Do   you   consider  women’s  different   skillsets  

advantageous  for  supply  chain  management?  

Source:  O’Marah  (2013)  

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Barriers  and  opportunities  to  women  in  humanitarian  logistics    

Clearly   there   is   a   distinct   lack   of   female   logisticians,  although   the   reasons   behind   this   are   less   obvious  (Tatham  and  Kovács,  2009).  In  general,  the  difficulty  of  combining   work   and   family   life,   as   well   as   the   male-­‐dominated   image   of   the   logistics   industry,   have   been  cited   as   the   key   reasons   (WISE,   2006;   Tatham   and  Kovács,  2009).  For  example,  in  a  CSCMP  survey  carried  out   in   2007,   48%   of   respondents   list   the   conflict  between   work   and   family   commitments   as   the   main  barrier   due   to   matters   including   global   travel  associated   with   international   supply   chains   (Trunick,  2007).  Further,  in  a  study  conducted  by  WISE  (2006),  a  comprehensive   list  of  barriers   to  women  entering  the  logistics   industry   was   drawn   up   (see   Figure   2).   The  results   came   from   an   online   survey   of   logisticians   in  which   there   were   124   submissions,   22   of   which  suggested  work/life  balance  as  a  reason  for  the  lack  of  women   in   humanitarian   logistics,   and   17  which   drew  attention   to   the   perception   that   the   profession   is  dominated  by  men.      Alongside   these   two   key   factors,   the   fact   that   the  logistics  profession   is  perceived  to  be  an  engineering-­‐related   field,   and   also   predominantly   made   up   of  truck-­‐driving  males,  is  a  further  important  reason  cited  for  the   lack  of  female  humanitarian   logisticians  (Sohal  and  D’Netto,  2004;  WISE,  2006;  EP,  2007).  Indeed,  the  field   of   humanitarianism   remains   wedded   to   the  logistics   title,   in   spite   of   an   analysis   of   job  advertisements   which   showed   that   humanitarian  logisticians   are   responsible   for   a   diverse   array   of  activities   including   communications,   security   and  administration   (CILT,   2008),   as  well   as   the   traditional  role   encompassed   in   a   definition   by   Thomas   and  Mizushima   (2005):   “planning,   implementing   and  controlling   the   efficient,   cost-­‐   effective   flow   and  storage   of   goods   and   materials   as   well   as   related  

information,  from  the  point  of  origin  to  the  point  of  consumption  for  the  purpose  of  meeting   the   end   beneficiary’s   requirements”   (p.   60).   The   culture   of   the   country  concerned,   as   well   as   poor   marketing   of   employment   possibilities   on   the   part   of  schools   and   organisations,   was   also   deemed   important   in   explaining   the   lack   of  women  involved  in  humanitarian  logistics  (WISE,  2006).      Indeed,   logistics   education   is   an   additional   area   in   which   women   are  underrepresented  (Tatham  and  Kovács,  2009).  For  instance,  just  20%  of  the  students  

Figure  2:  Reasons  for  a  

paucity  of  female  

humanitarian  logisticians  

Source:  WISE  (2006)  

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who   had   enrolled   in   training   courses   for   the   Certification   for   Humanitarian  Logisticians   and   Certificate   for   Humanitarian   Supply   Chain   Management   by   the  middle  of  2008  at   the  Fritz   Institute  were  women  (Macdonald,  2008).  Further,   in  a  study  conducted  by  Euphoria  Consulting  (2009),  less  than  30%  of  logisticians  regard  schools   and   universities   as   supportive   in   encouraging  women   to   join   the   industry.  Although  such  figures  relate  to  the  “for  profit”  sector  of  business  logistics,  there  are  similarly  relatively  few  women  working  in  humanitarian  logistics,  and  thus  studying  it  (WISE,   2006).   Clearly,   the   lack   of   female   logisticians   can,   in   part,   be   attributed   to  women  not  entering   the  profession   in   the   first  place   (Trunick,  2007).  This   suggests  that   schools   can   play   a   key   role   at   an   earlier   stage,   something  which   needs   to   be  tapped   into   when   coming   up   with   strategies   for   encouraging   women   into   the  profession  (Tatham  and  Kovács,  2009).        When   it   comes   to   the   presence   of   women   in   managerial   positions   within  humanitarian   logistics,   there   are   also   a   series   of   factors  which   keep   numbers   low  (Lynagh   et   al.,   2009).   Barriers   include   a   lack   of   female   role  models,  women   being  excluded   from   informal   networks,   and   not   having   a   sponsor   at   the   upper  management   level   to   generate   opportunities   (Barsh   and   Yee,   2011;   Hall,   2013).  However,  Barsh  and  Yee  (2011)  go  further  and  assert  that  the  most  powerful  force  preventing   women   from   securing   managerial   roles   in   supply   chains   is   that   of  entrenched  beliefs.  Although  this  study  is  concerned  with  commercial  supply  chains,  deep-­‐rooted   cultural   views   similarly   act   as   a   barrier   to   female   involvement   in  humanitarian  logistics  (WISE,  2006).  Further,  managers,  both  male  and  female,  often  exclude  viable  female  candidates  from  a  real  chance  at  securing  a  position  based  on  the  assumption   that  woman  cannot  handle   the  physicality  of   certain   jobs  and  also  due   to  perceived   family  commitments   (ibid).  Not  only   this,  but  women  themselves  can  be  seen  to  hold  themselves  back  due  to  a  lack  of  confidence  in  their  own  abilities  (Euphoria  Consulting,  2009;  Barsh  and  Yee,  2011).  Indeed,  “women  will  often  defer  when  they  have  only  four  of  five  requirements  for  a  given  job  opportunity,  whereas  men  will  take  it  even  if  they  only  have  one  of  the  five”  (O’Marah,  2013,  p.  1).    Nevertheless,  it  is  important  to  acknowledge  that  there  are  opportunities  for  women  within  health  supply  chains,  with  almost  three  quarters  of  supply  chain  and  logistics  professionals   surveyed   by   Euphoria   Consulting   (2009)   asserting   that   opportunities  for  women   to  establish   a  professional   career   in   logistics   are  better  now   than   they  ever   have   been   previously.   It   then   becomes   a   matter   of   how   to   ensure   these  opportunities  for  women  are  realised.      What  needs  to  be  done?    Clearly,   if   women   have   useful   skillsets   which   can   help   improve   the   lives   of   end  beneficiaries,   something   needs   to   be   done   to   not   only   change   perceptions   and  encourage   more   females   to   enter   into   humanitarian   logistics,   but   also   to   protect  them  and  address  the  challenges  they  face  once  there.  Whilst  many  commentators  call   for  organisational  change  which  has  a  specific  gender  focus  (e.g.  Prieto-­‐Carron,  2008;   Barsh   and   Yee,   2011;   Hall,   2013),   a   publication   by   USAID   (2013)   seeks   to  provide   guidance   on   effective   human   resource   (HR)   capacity   development   more  

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generally.  This  report  notes  that  an  insufficient  number  of  staff  (even  if  appropriately  trained  and  motivated  for  the  tasks  required  of  them)  is  likely  to  cause  poor  system  performance.   This,   in   turn,   ties   in   with   a   failure   on   the   part   of   many   health  institutions   to   recognise   the   central   role   played   by   supply   chain   personnel   (ibid).  Robust  HR  management   is   characterised  by  a   strategy   that  allows  organisations   to  systematically   tend   to   the   dynamics   of   the   workforce   across   the   entire   working  lifespan,  and  by  making  clear  each  employee’s  responsibilities  as  they  tie  in  with  the  overall  mission  of  the  organisation,  capacity  will   increase  (USAID,  2013)  (see  Figure  3).    

 

   However,   despite   the   fact   that   such   general   codes   of  HR  management   do   exist   in  many  humanitarian  organisations,  gender   issues  have  been  neglected,  and  matters  including   sexual  harassment,   childcare  and  maternity   leave  need   to  be   focused  on  and  addressed  in  organisation’s  codes  of  conduct  (Prieto  et  al.,  2004;  Prieto-­‐Carron,  2008).   A   study   of   20   workplace   codes   conducted   by   Person   and   Seyfang   (2001)  found  that  only  a  third  related  to  sexual  harassment,  a  tenth  covered  reproductive  health  and  all  were  found  to  be  poorly  monitored  and  inspected.  As  Hale  and  Shaw  (2001)  assert:  “the  specific  position  of  women  workers  within  the  industry  should  be  the  starting  point   for  entire  codes,   rather   than  simply  a  generic  anti-­‐discrimination  clause”   (p.   524).   Going   further,   female  workers   should   be   consulted  with   at   each  stage   of   the   design   and   implementation   of   codes   if   they   are   to   be   truly   gender-­‐sensitive  (Barrientos  et  al.,  2001;  Hale  and  Shaw,  2001).      The   importance  of  organisational   transformation  as   a  means  of   addressing   gender  issues   in   humanitarian   logistics   is   emphasised  by  Barsh   and   Yee   (2011),  who   state  that  despite  70%  of  efforts  failing,  transformations  that  have  strong  leadership  and  a  comprehensive   strategy   to   shift   behaviours   and   mindsets   are   far   more   likely   to  succeed.  Prieto-­‐Carron  (2008)  suggests  that  workplace  policies  aimed  at  addressing  gender  issues  should  be  focused  at  two  main  levels:  the  micro  level  and  the  macro  

Figure  3:  Impact  of  Human  Resources  on  Supply  Chain  Performance  

Source:  USAID  (2013)  

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level.  At  the  former  level  of  analysis,  recommendations  include  the  need  for  records  to   be   kept   on   the   gender   balance   ratio,   particularly   amongst   supervisors;  documentation   on   best   employer   practices;   and   pro-­‐rata   rights   and   equal   rights  (Prieto-­‐Carron,   2008).   When   it   comes   to   monitoring   and   verification   procedures,  inclusion   is   once   again   emphasised,   particularly   of   organisations   representing  women  (Elias,  2003),  and  codes  should  be  written  in  language  which  can  be  widely  understood  (Prieto-­‐Carron,  2008).      At  the  macro  level,  it  is  more  than  just  a  matter  of  workplace  policies  as  the  broader  picture  needs   to  be  considered.   Indeed,  a  significant  criticism  of  codes  of  conduct,  even   those   that   deal   specifically   with   gender   issues,   is   that   they   fail   to   address  deeply  embedded  structures  of  inequality  such  as  low  wages  and  the  designation  of  females  to  the  lowest  paid,  most  insecure  jobs  (Elias,  2003;  Prieto-­‐Carron,  2006).      Part  of  the  problem  relates  to  the  perceptions  that  many  people  have  of  the  supply  chain  industry  as  a  whole;  that  there  are  few  career  opportunities  and  that  it  tends  to  be  a  profession  of  males  (Euphoria  Consulting,  2009;  Hall,  2013).  It  is  thus  argued  that   it   falls   to   companies   to   improve   their   marketing   strategies,   and   to   establish  more  programmes  which  ensure  work-­‐life   balance,   better   career  opportunities   for  females,   and   gender   equality   in   general   (Euphoria   Consulting,   2009).   Research  conducted  by   Euphoria   Consulting   (2009)   examined   the  HR   issues   faced  by   supply  chain   and   logistics   companies   and   published   a   series   of   suggestions   for   how   to  attract  women  to  the  industry  (see  Figure  4).    

     

   Notwithstanding  this  generally  bleak  picture,  there  is  evidence  that  some  companies  have   made   real   progress   in   removing   structural   barriers   for   females   and   have  implemented   policies   that   allow   women   to   cope   with   the   dual   responsibilities   of  work   and   family   life   (Barsh   and   Yee,   2011).   But   change   needs   support   from  companies,   education   facilities,   governments   and   civil   society;   it   is   only   once   this  cooperation   is   achieved   and   perceptions   are   truly   changed   that   genuine  transformation  will  come  about  (ibid).    

Figure  4:  Ways  of  attracting  women  to  the  industry  

Source:  Euphoria  Consulting  (2009)  

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Methodology    Design      In  the  period  7th  to  25th  September  2015,  three  themes  and  an  accompanying  set  of  2-­‐3   seeding  questions  were  presented   to   the   IAPHL   community  of  practice   via   the  discussion  forum.  Each  of  these  was  open  to  responses  for  4  days.    The  themes  and  questions  discussed  were:    1. The  impact  of  gender  on  health  supply  chain  delivery  

1. Does   gender   balance   have   an   impact   on   the   delivery   of   health  logistics  and  supply  chain  services?  

2. Does   the   gender   of   employees   have   a   significant   effect   on   public  health  supply  chain  delivery?  

3. Can   you   provide   examples   where   gender   has   had   a   positive   or  negative  impact  on  logistics  and  the  supply  chain?    

2. Mainstreaming  gender  in  health  supply  chains  1. What   are   the   behavioural   expectations   of   the   health   logistics   and  

supply   chain   workforce   and   what   impact   does   this   have   on   the  participation  of  women  in  the  sector?  

2. What  stops  women  from  joining  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce?      

 3. The  impact  of  HR  policies  on  gender  balance  in  health  supply  chains  

1. Do   you   think   the   human   resources   policies   of   your   organisation  encourage   or   prevent   a   certain   gender   from   engaging   in   health  logistics  and  supply  chain  careers?  

2. What   do   you   think   needs   to   change   in   order   to   create   a   greater  gender  balance  in  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  careers?  

 For   each   of   these,   an   expert   was   asked   to   prepare   a   2-­‐page   content   brief   with   a  short  personal  biography,  background  information  related  to  the  theme’s  discussion,  a   set   of   questions   and   suggestions   for   further   reading   (see   appendix   A,   B   and   C).  Each  week,  one  moderator  would  take  the   lead   in  creating  discussion  amongst  the  IAPHL  community  on  their  particular  theme.    The  way   in  which  questions  were  put   to   the  online  community  was  dependent  on  the   moderator,   with   one   posting   the   different   seeding   questions   one   at   a   time,  whilst  the  other  two  putting  all  of  the  questions  to  the  community  in  one  go.  Given  that  it  was  unclear  in  advance  which  would  be  the  most  appropriate  strategy,  it  was  decided  that  both  would,  in  effect,  be  trialled.  As  it  transpires,  the  former  approach  

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allowed   for  analysis   to  be  undertaken   in  a  more  straightforward  manner,  although  both  methods  generated  high  quality  responses.      The  moderators  were  encouraged  to  engage  in  the  discussions  in  order  to  ensure  the  conversation   remained   on   track,   to   answer   any   questions,   and   to   promote   the  sharing   of   information.  Where   responses   were   lacking,   particularly   in   the   case   of  theme   2,   the   moderators   put   forward   their   own   opinions   to   demonstrate   to  participants  the  sorts  of  ideas  and  examples  that  might  be  relevant.  Notwithstanding  this  process,  it  is  considered  unlikely  that  it  swayed  responses  from  other  members  of   the  online   community  given   the   intensely   subjective  nature  of  questions,  which  asked   for   personal   experiences   and   examples.   Rather,   it  was   helpful   in   generating  greater  dialogue  and,  indeed,  it  was  during  the  second  theme  of  discussion  that  the  most  responses  were  collected.    Analysis      The   qualitative   technique   of   thematic   analysis   was   used   in   this   project   as   it   was  deemed  to  be  the  most  effective  way  of  clearly  interpreting  and  presenting  the  large  amount  of  data  collected  during  online  discussions  (see  Appendix  D,  E  and  F  for  full  transcripts).    A  system  of  coding  was  developed  during  the  literature  review  phase  of  this  research  and   further   added   to   once   all   responses   had   been   collected   for   each   week’s  discussion.   Recurring   themes   were   drawn   out   of   responses,   some   expected   after  reviewing  the  literature,  and  others  less  so.  They  were  then  put  into  a  table  to  help  with   the   process   of   structuring   question   summaries.   Take   Figure   7,   for   example;  when  asked  whether  or  not  gender  had  an   impact  on  health  supply  chain  delivery,  three  points  were  drawn  out  of  responses  which  suggested  that  gender  did  have  a  negative   impact:   that   there  existed   inequalities   in  access   to  education   for   females;  that  the  physicality  of  the  job  often  meant  women  were  unable  to  participate;  and  that  society  generally  perceived  the  industry  as  being  ‘for  men’  which  put  women  off  applying.  Two  points  were  also  drawn  out  of  posts  which  argued  a  positive  impact  of  being  female  when  working  in  health  supply  chains  and  these  are  listed  as  the  final  two   points   in   the   table,   with   a   heavy   line   separating   the   positives   and   negatives.  Such  presentation  is  maintained  throughout  the  themes,  and  where  answers  did  not  take   the   form   of   positive   or   negatives,   no   distinction   is   made   between   themes  identified  in  the  tables  (as  with  Figure  9,  for  example,  where  only  negatives  (barriers)  are  included).      Based  on   the  above  analysis,   a   summary  of   the  week’s  discussions  was   sent   to   all  members  of  the   IAPHL  community.  Direct  quotes  were  not  used   in  the  summaries,  but   rather  an  outline  of   the  points   that  were  put   forward   in  discussions   to  ensure  the   summaries   were   more   succinct.   However,   points   were   referenced   to   the  individuals  who  made  them  as  a  means  of  emphasising  the  quality  and  value  of  posts  received.      

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The  analysis  was  complicated  by  the  fact  that  the  questions  for  themes  1  and  2  were  posted   at   the   same   time,   with   only   a   handful   of   respondents   separating   their  answers  by  question  number.  As  a  result,  the  researcher  manually  divided  responses  to   the   different   questions   within   theme   2   based   on   sensible   judgement   that  reflected   the   content   of   the   response.   However,   particularly   in   relation   to   the  responses   to   theme   1,   there   was   a   great   deal   of   similarity   and   overlap   between  some  questions,  meaning  it  was  not  always  sensible  to  divide  responses  up.  Where  this   was   the   case,   the   analysis   and   discussion   did   not   make   distinctions   between  questions  and  it  presented  results  as  a  single  summary  for  the  overall  theme.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

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Results    With  32  responses  from  13  different  countries  (see  Figure  5),  this  online  discussion  captured  a  variety  of  viewpoints  from  individuals  who  occupy  varied  positions  within  health   supply   chains   including  pharmacists,   programme  managers,   senior   advisers,  supply   chain   consultants   and   programme   directors.   Each   participant   has   been  included   in   this   study  due   to   the   level  of  knowledge  and  depth  of  experience   they  are  deemed  to  possess,  noting  that  many  have  worked  for  a  number  of  high-­‐profile  organisations  in  several  different  national  contexts  for  considerable  periods  of  time.      Figure  5:  List  of  countries  represented  by  discussion  responses    

Country    

Democratic  Republic  of  the  Congo  (DRC)  

 United  States  of  America  

(USA)  

United  Kingdom  (UK)    

Fiji  Sierra  Leone   Nigeria   Zimbabwe  Ethiopia   Sudan   Uganda  Kenya   Nepal   Ghana  

 Thematic  analysis    The  following  represents  a  summary  of  the  responses  to  each  of  the  themes  and  was  also  used  as  part  of  the  feedback  to  participants.    Theme  1:  The  impact  of  gender  on  health  supply  chain  delivery    Theme  1  Thematic  Analysis    1. Does   gender   balance   have   an   impact   on   the   delivery   of   health   logistics   and  

supply  chain  services?  2. Does  the  gender  of  employees  have  a  significant  effect  on  public  health  supply  

chain  delivery?  3. Can  you  provide  examples  where  gender  has  had  a  positive  or  negative  impact  

on  logistics  and  the  supply  chain?    The  three  questions  were  combined  and  analysed  under  the  overarching  question:      Does  gender  have  an  impact  on  health  supply  chain  delivery  (with  examples)?    The   thematic  analysis  of   theme  1  as  a  whole   (which  was  conducted   in   such  a  way  due  to  the  similarity  between  questions,  as  explained  in  the  methodology)  identified  5   subthemes,   3   of   which   indicate   negatives   against   female   participation   and   the  other  2  suggesting  the  opposite  (see  Figure  6).    

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Figure  6:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  1    

Thematic  analysis  for  theme  1,  Q1,  2  and  3:  The  impact  of  gender  on  health  supply  chain  delivery  

Wider  inequalities  in  access  to  education  

Physically  demanding  nature  of  the  

job  

General  perception  of  the  supply  

chain  concept  as  being  ‘for  

men’  

Cultural  sensitivities  

call  for  females  (particularly  at  the  point  of  service  delivery)  

Women  have  different  natural  

skillsets  so  better  at  certain  

tasks/roles    

Theme  1  Summary    When  analysing  gender   issues   in  supply  chains,   it   is   important  to  distinguish  where  along  the  chain  observations  are  being  made  as  the  situation  may  vary  from  strategic  to  operational  levels  (Murtada).  Overall,  it  is  evident  that  there  persists  a  significant  gender   gap   in   supply   chains.   Yet,   we   must   bear   in   mind   the   fact   that   gender  inequalities  in  supply  chains  may  be  traced  back  to  differing  education  opportunities  between   males   and   females,   and   between   those   living   in   urban   and   rural   areas,  meaning   the   gender   concerns   in   supply   chains   are   a   problem   rooted   in   wider  inequalities  in  access  to  education  (David).    Negative  gender  imbalances  which  favour  men  can  be  recognised.  In  Ethiopia,  it  has  been   noted   that   there   are   very   few   women   working   in   the   major   supply   chain  functional   areas   (Addis).   Another   source   points   out   that   when   it   comes   to  operational  tasks  such  as  clearing  and  forwarding,  more  men  can  be  found  engaged  in   such   activities;   hours   are   long,   ports   are   usually   chaotic,   and   there   are   many  mechanised  duties   in  warehouses   (Murtada).   The  physicality  of   such   tasks  may  be  better  suited  to  the  male  gender  and  female  distribution  vendors  would  struggle  in  such   a  male   dominated   environment   (Matthew).   Further,   in   the   Nigerian   context,  the  environment  is  more  male  dominated  as  you  go  up  the  supply  chain,  which  may  be  the  result  of  the  general  perception  of  the  concept  of  a  supply  chain  (Matthew).      However,  this  is  not  to  say  that  women  do  not  possess  the  necessary  skills  and  thus  the  capacity  to  succeed  within  the  industry;  they  are  just  as  capable  as  men  when  it  comes  to  working  in  supply  chains  although  may  be  suited  to  different  tasks.  This  is  particularly   evident  when   accounting   for   certain   cultural   sensitivities   –   a  man  will  feel  very  comfortable  allowing  his  wife  to  be  examined  by  a  female  health  practioner  rather   than   a   male,   yet   this   same   man   will   likely   be   unwilling   to   receive   family  planning  counselling,  or  even  accept  contraception  from  the  same  female  practioner  (Matthew).   The   natural   skillsets   of   women   differ   from   those   of   men   and   these  differences   are   advantageous   for   supply   chain   management   (Addis).   Indeed,   it   is  worth  making  a  distinction  between  physical  tasks,  which  tend  to  be  undertaken  by  men  and  who  may  be  better  suited  to  doing  them,  and  roles  that  require  the  use  of  the  mind,  which  women  may  be  more  effective  at  (Murtada).    

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A   gender   imbalance   which   favours   women   can   also   be   seen,   which   fits   with   the  aforementioned   categorisation.   Having   females   in   the   health   supply   chain  workforce,  particularly  at  the  point  of  service  delivery,  can  be  an  absolute  imperative  in  cases  where,  for  instance,  religion  calls  for  women  to  remain  indoors  and  they  are  not  allowed  male  visitors,  except  for  their  husband  or  children  (Benedict).  A  female  client  may  also  feel  extremely  uncomfortable  having  a  male  pharmacist  explain  how  to  use,  for  example,  a  vaginal  pessary  (Ifeoluwa)  and  it  is  on  these  occasions  at  the  point  of  service  delivery  that  certain  cultural  attitudes  make  women  better  placed  to  fill   a   role.   Another   example   of   where   the   presence   of   females   is   important   is   in  fundraising   and   subsequent   spending   disbursements,   and   they   have   proven  extremely  effective  in  this  area,  perhaps  by  virtue  of  their  gender,  although  this  is  a  subjective  view  (Murtada).  Further,   in  Nigeria,  Primary  Health  Centres  (PHCs)  make  up  about  80%  of  health  institutions  and  serve  as  the  first  point  of  call   in  any  public  health   situation   for   majority   of   Nigerians.   These   centres   are   largely   managed   by  Nurses   and  Midwives  who   tend   to   be   female,   as   it   is   believed   that   they   have   the  ability  to  connect  more  with  clients;  given  that  the  majority  of  patients  at  clinics  are  female,   cultural   sensitivities  mean   that   it   is   only   acceptable   for  women   to  provide  care  (Matthew).          Theme  2:  Mainstreaming  gender  in  health  supply  chains    Theme  2,  Question  1  Thematic  Analysis    1. What  are  the  behavioural  expectations  of  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  

workforce  and  what  impact  does  this  have  on  the  participation  of  women  and  men  in  the  sector?  

 The   thematic   analysis   of   theme   2,   question   1   identified   4   subthemes,   2   of   which  indicate  behavioural  expectations  which   limit   the  participation  of  women   in  health  supply  chains  and  the  other  2  suggesting  the  opposite  (see  Figure  7).    Figure  7:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  2,  question  1    

Thematic  analysis  for  theme  2,  Q1:  Behavioural  expectations  Behave  in  a  ‘macho’  way  

Societal  perceptions  of  women  as  weak  

Hard  work   Women  better  at  certain  tasks  and  also  more  caring  

and  compassionate,  e.g.  admin.,  HR,  finance,  nursing  

         

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Theme  2,  Question  1  Summary    Within   health   logistics   and   supply   chain   operations,   a   series   of   behavioural  expectations  can  be  identified  as  having  a  direct  impact  on  the  way  in  which  women  can,   and   feel   they   should,   participate   in   the   sector.   Rather   than  maintaining   their  true  gender   identity  and  acting  as   themselves,  women  may   feel  under  pressure   to  behave   in  a   ‘macho’  way,  speaking   like  men  and  trying  to  appear  tough   in   front  of  male  colleagues  (Aggie).  This  is  likely  to  stem  not  only  from  the  dominance  of  males  in  such  work   (Pam),  but  also  due  to  deeply  engrained  cultural  views,  which  persist  particularly  within  the  African  context,  whereby  women  are  perceived  to  be  weaker  than  men  and  subsequently  unable  to  carry  out  physically  demanding  roles  (Petros;  Francois).  Indeed,  certain  sectors  of  operation  are  distinctly  void  of  female  workers;  for   instance,  during  emergency  situations   in  very  remote  contexts,  few  women  will  be   found,   which   can   be   attributed   to   societal   perceptions   (Petros).   Exacerbating  these  beliefs  is  the  actual  location  and  positioning  of  many  health  centres.  Facilities  are  often  extremely  inadequate  and  result  in  workers  being  forced  to  do  a  great  deal  of  heavy  lifting  which  women  either  can’t,  or  simply  won’t,  do  due  to  the  amount  of  physical  energy  required  (Austin).      However,  although  certain  behavioural  expectations  limit  men  and  women  to  certain  roles   and   functional   areas,   this   is   not   necessarily   a   bad   thing.   Females   tend   to  dominate   areas   like   administration,   human   resources,   and   finance   which   demand  skills   of   organisation   and   coordination.   In   comparison,   men   usually   occupy   more  physically  demanding  roles  which  involve  heavy  lifting.  Yet  women  are  seen  as  being  suited  to  the  aforementioned  roles  so  much  so  that  men  may  even  be  discriminated  against  in  such  areas  (Matthew).      Yet,   it  has  been  asserted   that  being  able   to  work   in   supply  chains   is  not  actually  a  question   of   gender,   but   rather   one   of   how   hard   individuals   are   prepared   to  work  (Carine;  Petros).  The  sector  as  a  whole  is  risky  and  demands  absolute  dedication  at  all  times,  no  matter  what  the  conditions.  Participation  becomes  a  matter  of  whether  people   are   able   to   commit   100%   to   their   job,   which   means   that   those   with   no  responsibilities   beyond   work   (such   as   family)   may   be   given   priority   for   health  logistician  positions  over  those  who  do  have  outside  commitments,  a  matter  which  is  not  so  much  dependent  on  gender  (Carine).        Despite   certain   behavioural   expectations   affecting   the   participation   of   women   in  health  supply  chains,  we  can  recognise  signs  of  hope.  A  dedicated  woman  will  not  be  stopped   from   reaching   the   required  objectives   by   any  barriers,   even   if   this  means  long   shifts   and   tough   working   conditions   (Alaa).   Women   are   regarded   as   caring,  trustworthy  and  affectionate  and  this  can  be  an  advantage  in  the  humanitarian  field  –   behavioural   expectations   are   arguably  more   well   suited   to  women   so   it’s   about  time   they   started   taking   the   lead   (Alaa).   In   terms   of   action   that   can   be   taken   to  further   ensure   women   realise   their   potential   and   do   not   face   so   many   barriers,  logistics   tasks   need   to   be   clarified   amongst   society   in   general   and   also   more  specifically   within   the   industry   so   that   equal   participation   is   better   encouraged  (Francois).    

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Theme  2,  Question  2  Thematic  Analysis    2. What   stops   women   from   joining   the   health   logistics   and   supply   chain  

workforce?    The   thematic   analysis   of   theme  2,   question   2   identified   7   subthemes,   all   of  which  indicate   barriers   to   women   participating   in   the   health   logistics   and   supply   chain  profession  (see  Figure  8).    Figure  8:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  2,  question  2    

There   have   been   identified   several   barriers   to   the   participation   of   women   in   the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce.  Many  of  these  are  related  to  widespread  cultural   beliefs   which   affect   perceptions   of   what   women   are   capable   of   doing.  Women   are   seen   as   being   unable   to  work   under   stressful   conditions   and   for   long  periods  away  from  home  (Petros;  Aggie).  The  physicality  of  logistics  work  is  also  seen  to  be  beyond  the  capabilities  of  women  and  such  a  view  may  even  ignore  the  areas  in   which   they   excel   above   men,   such   as   organising,   planning   and   coordinating  (Carine;   Albert).   Security   issues   associated   with   humanitarian   work   are   viewed   as  more  of   a   threat   to   females,  which  arises   from  a   lack  of  provision  being  made   for  general  safety  by  organisations  (Carine).  Logisticians  also  tend  to  be  viewed  as  back  office   staff  with  no  ambition  and  poor  education   levels,  meaning   the   system   itself  gives   few   opportunities   to   ambitious   women   (Carine;   Francois).   Further,   health  logistics  and  supply  management  programmes  are  not  usually  offered  at  universities,  meaning   appointments   are   not   so   much   based   on   qualifications,   but   more   on  subjective   choices   of   the   head   of   the   unit   who   may   be   biased   against   women  (Austin;  Pam).    Arguments  have  emerged  expressing  the  deep-­‐rooted  nature  of  the  barriers  women  face   in   health   logistics   which,   once   addressed,   could   see   other   issues   disappear  (Pangday;  Albert).  Indeed,  in  much  of  the  developing  world,  the  logistics  occupation  is  yet  to  receive  the  support  and  recognition  it  deserves  as  a  standalone  career  path,  

Thematic  analysis  for  theme  2,  Q2:  Barriers  to  women  joining  the  profession  Cultural  beliefs  

Perceptions  of  what  

women  are  capable  of  

Physicality  of  the  work  

Security  issues  

Perceptions  of  

logisticians  puts  

ambitious  women  off    

Not  offered  at  universities  

Profession  not  given  deserved  recognition  so  lack  of  investment  

   Theme  2,  Question  2  Summary  

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meaning   there   are   very   few   training   courses   and   logistics   academics   available  (Albert).   It   is   from   here   that   we   can   recognise   where   some   of   the   more   direct  barriers   to   women   stem   from;   since   there   is   no   clear   career   path   for   a   health  logistician,   many   workers   simply   trickle   in   from   male-­‐dominated,   physically  demanding  sectors  such  as  shipping  and  commercial  transport  which  results  in  many  women   shunning   the  profession   in   favour  of   raising  a   family   (Albert).  Additionally,  the  lack  of  positive  recognition  assigned  to  the  logistics  profession  from  developing  nation  governments,  donors  and  big  corporate  companies  often  results   in  a   lack  of  investment,  logisticians  and  supply  chain  managers  being  blamed  for  problems  that  occur  in  the  overall  process,  and  a  failure  to  give  them  praise  when  something  goes  well   (Pangday).   If   the   importance  of   the  profession   is   recognised,  and   if   it   receives  the  appropriate  publicity  in  order  to  enter  into  mainstream  academia,  gender  issues  and   the  matter   of   balanced   representation  will   likely   see   to   themselves   (Pangday;  Albert).    Although   women   constantly   have   to   prove   themselves   in   such   an   environment  (Carine),   there   are   signs   that   things   are   changing   (Austin).   Although   the   level   of  education  women  receive  may  limit  their  ability  to  communicate  and  calculate,  there  are  ways  around  this  to  make  use  of  the  skills  they  do  have  (Katie).  Women  need  the  determination  to  earn  respect  by  showing  how  good  they  can  be   (Katie;  Pam).  For  example,   they   should   pitch   in  with   physical   tasks   regardless   of   breaking   nails   and  getting  bruises  (Katie).  They  should  always  strive  to  have  their  voices  heard  in  male-­‐dominated   settings   such   as   boardrooms   and   conferences   (Pam).   Although   family  commitments  are  a  difficulty  for  women  –   looking  after  children/elderly  relatives  –  there  are  ways  around  it,  but  women  need  to  work  out  if  the  sacrifice  is  worth  it  as  their   job   may   involve   being   away   from   home   for   extended   periods   (Pam;   Katie).  However,  nothing  should  stop  women   in  health  supply  chains;   they  are  entitled   to  hold  any  position  and  are  actually  better  suited  to  this  type  of  work  (Alaa).      Theme  3:  The  impact  of  HR  policies  on  gender  balance  in  health  supply  chains    Theme  3,  Question  1  Thematic  Analysis    1. Do  you  think  the  human  resources  policies  of  your  organisation  encourage  or  

prevent   a   certain   gender   from   engaging   in   health   logistics   and   supply   chain  careers?  What  examples  can  you  share?    

The   thematic   analysis   of   theme  3,   question  1   identified  12   subthemes,   8  of  which  indicate  HR  policies  which   limit   the  participation  of  women   in  health  supply  chains  and  the  other  4  suggesting  the  opposite  (see  Figure  9).            

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Figure  9:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  3,  question  1    

Thematic  analysis  for  theme  3,  Q1:  HR  policies  of  organisations  Policy  

requirements  that  women  cannot  

fulfil  

Long,  inflexible  working  hours  

Responsibility  of  childcare  

Workforce  development  

courses  located  far  away  

Outdated  stereotypes  

Failure  to  promote  positive  aspects  of  the  profession  

Social  factors  such  as  poverty  and  

status  

The  way  a  job  is  advertised,  as  well  

as  the  cost  of  applying  

Adverts  that  don’t  discriminate  but  

encourage  

Gender  balance  on  interview  panels  

Good  maternity  allowances  

Promoting  women  to  managerial  positions  

 Theme  3,  Question  1  Summary    It  is  clear  to  see  that  women  face  a  number  of  barriers  resulting  from  the  HR  policies  of  organisations  which  affects   their   ability   to  engage   in  health   logistics   and   supply  chain  careers.  These  can  take  the  form  of  policy  issues;  for  instance,  the  requirement  that   motorcycles   are   used   by   workers   providing   technical   support   exclude   many  women  who  do  not  ride,  and  also  the  requirement  that  workers  are  able  to  carry  out  equipment  maintenance  may  be  particularly  manual   and  unsuitable   for  women   to  do   (Victoria).   Further,   there   may   be   a   number   of   practical   barriers   to   women  participating   in   such   a   working   environment   since   the   responsibility   of   childcare  often  falls  far  more  heavily  on  their  shoulders,  especially  when  babies  are   involved  (Victoria;  Pam).  These  include  long,  inflexible  working  hours  (Pam)  and  the  fact  that  workforce  development  courses  may  be   located  far  from  home  and  last  months  to  end  (Victoria).      Outdated   stereotypes   can   also   hold   women   back,   as   well   as   a   failure   to   sell   the  positive   aspects   of   the   profession   by   organisations   themselves   (Pam).   This   can   be  summed  up  by   the   reference  Brigid   refers   to   in   that  a  woman  will   not  apply   for   a  position  if  she  only  meets  four  out  of  five  requirements.  Companies  are  not  efficient  enough   at   demonstrating   the   way   in   which   their   work   can   be   socially   useful   and  require   qualities   that   women   tend   to   have   in   abundance.   It   is   not   a   matter   of  appearing  to  be  ‘one  of  the  boys’  as  many  women  feel  the  pressure  to  act  and  this  is  something  companies  need  to  get  across  (Pam).      As   well   as   gender,   social   factors   can   prevent   individuals   in   certain   groups   from  getting   jobs.   These   include   poverty   and   status  within   society.   However,   if   you   are  female  and  have  an  additional  social  barrier  to  employment,  your  opportunities  are  particularly  limited  (Apolosi).      Beyond  the  matter  of  gender,   the  way   in  which  a   job   is  advertised  can  also  create  barriers  to  engaging  with  supply  chains  and  this  is  an  issue  which  applies  equally  to  men  and  women  (Katie;  Sharon).  If  a  role  gets  posted  online,  people  who  don’t  have  

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the   Internet   cannot   access   it   and   a   physical   advert   positioned   somewhere   unsafe  where   few   people  will   pass  will   have   little   effect   (Katie).   The   cost   of   printing   and  sending  off  CVs  is  another  limitation,  as  is  lack  of  experience  of  how  to  present  them  (Katie).  Companies  often  struggle  to  know  how  best  to  advertise  a  job  and  may  miss  out  on  excellent  candidates  for  this  reason  (Sharon).      Nevertheless,   it   is   important   to   acknowledge   that   some   organisations   have   very  good   human   resource   policies   in   place   which   do   not   discriminate   against   either  gender   (Anna).   Crucially,   these   are   in   place   at   every   stage   of   the   selection,  recruitment  and  retention  process  (Damola).  Adverts  should  never  discriminate  and  should  encourage  both  sexes  to  apply;  an  appropriate  gender  balance  on  interview  panels  is  essential  to  ensure  gender  equality  and  non-­‐discriminatory  questions;  upon  recruitment,   companies   should   provide   women   with   good   maternity   allowances  including  observing   the  mandatory  maternity  period  and  helping  with   the   costs  of  childcare;   and   organisations   should   award   women   deserved   managerial   positions  (Eshiet;  Damola).  But  these  are  individual  cases  and  it  is  from  these  that  we  need  to  learn  (Anna).    Theme  3,  Question  2  Thematic  Analysis    2. What  do  you  think  needs  to  change  in  order  to  create  a  greater  gender  balance  

in  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  careers?  

The  thematic  analysis  of  theme  3,  question  2   identified  11  subthemes,  all  of  which  indicate   changes   that   need   to   be   made   to   organisations’   HR   policies   in   order   to  encourage   more   women   to   participate   in   the   health   logistics   and   supply   chain  profession  (see  Figure  10).    Figure  10:  Subthemes  identified  from  theme  3,  question  2    

Thematic  analysis  for  theme  3,  Q2:  What  needs  to  change?  Widespread  calls  for  workplace  

equality  

Cooperation  between  

government  and  civil/professional  organisations  

Cooperation  between  heads  of  organisations  and  

workers  

Staff  should  be  consulted  

Active  commitment  to  equality  by  

promoting  equal  opportunities  in  all  

aspects  

Different  wording  of  recruitment  

adverts  

Standardised  assessments  for  men  and  women  

Support  of  higher  education  and  development  for  

both  sexes  

Introduction  of  a  mentorship  programme  

More  creative  ways  of  advertising  jobs  and  placed  in  better  locations  

Good  guidelines  sent  to  all  job  

applicants,  as  well  as  a  means  of  sending  for  free  

 

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Theme  3,  Question  2  Summary    It   is   important   to   understand   that   policies   in   the  workplace   that   promote   gender  equality  will  not  lead  to  immediate  changes  in  the  way  women  are  treated/viewed;  it  will  take  time  to  change  cultural  views  and  stigma.  But  calling  for  equality  will  help  speed  up  changes  (Apolosi).    Firstly,  cooperation  is  essential  when  striving  for  gender  balance,  both  amongst  the  government   and   civil/professional   organisations   (Francois),   and   also   between   the  heads   of   organisations   and  workers   themselves   (Anna).   Staff   should   be   consulted  when   developing   policies,   their   concerns   listened   to,   and   they   must   be   given   a  comprehensive  briefing  once  a  policy  is  rolled  out  (Anna).      Organisations  need  to  actively  commit  to  ensuring  equality,  as  has  been  emphasised  in  the  strategy  adopted  by  the  WISE  programme  which  promotes  equal  opportunity  for   women   in   organisations’   hiring   policies   for   logistics   and   supply   chain  professionals   (Pam).   Indeed,   individual  organisations  need  to  assess  how  to  reduce  any   barriers   women   may   face   to   employment,   e.g.   different   wording   of   a  recruitment   ad   might   attract   more   women   to   apply   (Brigid).   Once   women   are   in  employment,  the  way  men  and  women  are  assessed  within  the  workplace  should  be  standardised,   e.g.  men   are   promoted   on   their   potential  whilst  women   are   judged  primarily   on   their   performance   (Brigid).   Further,   companies   should   support   higher  education  and  development  of  both  male  and   female   logisticians  on  gender   issues  and  professional  training  throughout  their  careers,  as  with  the  second  prong  of  the  WISE  strategy  (Pam).  To  build  on  such  an  approach,  a  mentorship  programme  can  be  an  effective  tool  to  help  workers  access  top-­‐level  professionals  who  can  guide  their  careers  and  support  women,  in  particular,  in  the  field  (Pam).      In   terms  of  addressing   the  problems  associated  with   job  advertising,  which  affects  both  men  and  women  equally,   organisations  need   to   come  up  with  more   creative  ways   to   advertise   jobs,   particularly   in   terms   of   the   location   of   ads   (Katie).   Some  companies   use   sites   like   LinkedIn,   DevEx   and   DevAid   which   are   effective,   but  knowing   which   local   newspapers   and   locations   to   best   advertise   would   also   be  helpful.  Advertisements  should  be  in  safe  locations  where  many  people  pass  by,  e.g.  hospitals,  markets,  women’s  centres  (Katie).  Also,  good  guidelines  should  be  sent  to  the  applicant,  as  should  a  means  of  photocopying  and  sending  their  application  for  free  (Katie).                          

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Discussion    Results  from  this  study  support  the  wider  literature  base  which  suggests  that  there  continues   to   be   relatively   few   female   humanitarian   logisticians,   and   this   is  particularly  worrying   given   that   responding   to   the   gender-­‐specific   requirements  of  end   beneficiaries   is   central   to   the   overall   humanitarian   aim   (Tatham   and   Kovács,  2009).  Indeed,  a  number  of  IAPHL  members  offered  personal  experiences  of  working  alongside  few  women  in  their  role  as  a  male  logistician,  or  being  the  sole  female  in  a  room  full  of  men.      Whilst   there   can  be   recognised  a   series  of   skills   that   any   “good”   logistician   should  possess,   this   study   joins   a   growing   body   of   research   which   stresses   the   different  skillsets  possessed  by  men  and  women,  and  which  argues  that  the  presence  of  both  is   of   advantage   to   the   overall   performance   of   health   supply   chains   (WISE,   2006;  Hoag,  2008).  Participants  suggested  this  to  be  the  case  particularly  when  accounting  for  cultural  sensitivities,  and  in  areas  such  as  administration,  HR  and  finance,  women  were  said  to  be  better  suited.      Nevertheless,   barriers   certainly   exist   and   participants   in   this   research   clearly  demonstrated   these,   and   it   will   also   be   noted   that   these   largely   correspond  with  those  uncovered  in  earlier  studies  (e.g.  WISE,  2006;  Tatham  and  Kovács,  2009).  They  include   the   responsibility  of   childcare,   long   and   inflexible  working  hours,   outdated  stereotypes   of  women  within   society,   lack   of   confidence   in  women   themselves   in  terms  of  what   they  are  capable  of,   the  physicality  of   logistics  work,   security   issues  associated  with  humanitarian  work,  perceptions  of  humanitarian   logistics  as  having  nowhere   to   progress,   the   fact   that   humanitarian   logistics   isn’t   offered   by  universities,   poverty   and   status  within   come   societies,   the  way   a   job   is   advertised  and  the  financial  cost  of  applying.      A  number  of  suggestions  have  also  emerged  which  offer  ways  in  which  gender  issues  in   humanitarian   logistics   can   be   addressed.   Many   commentators   have   called   for  organisational   changes   which   have   a   specific   gender   focus   (Prieto-­‐Carron,   2008;  Barsh  and  Yee,  2011;  Hall,  2013)  and  this  was  supported  by  participants  in  this  study.  For  example,   it  was   strongly   argued   that   there   should  be  no  discrimination  at   any  stage   of   the   recruitment   or   employment   process,   with   suggested   measures   to  counter  this   including:  adverts  that  encourage  both  sexes  to  apply,  gender  balance  on   interview   panels,   good   maternity   allowances,   ensuring   that   there   is   an   equal  representation  of  women  in  managerial  positions  and  a  mentorship  programme.  The  survey  also  made  it  clear  that  women  themselves  need  to  find  ways  around  barriers  and   make   use   of   the   skills   that   they   possess.   For   example,   they   need   the  determination   to  earn   respect,   to  pitch   in   regardless  of  what   the   task   is,   and   they  may  need  to  sacrifice  family  time  at  some  points  in  their  careers.    There   is   also  evidence   that   some  companies  have  made   real  progress   in   removing  structural  barriers  for  females  and  have  implemented  policies  that  allow  women  to  cope  with  the  dual  responsibilities  of  work  and  family  life  (Barsh  and  Yee,  2011),  and  this   progress   was   affirmed   by   a   small   number   of   the   survey’s   participants.  

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Nevertheless,   the   survey   results  would   indicate   that   there   is   still  much  work   to  be  undertaken   in   order   to   change   attitudes   and   see   more   women   as   humanitarian  logisticians  but   it   is  suggested  that,  through  cooperation  and  over  time,  this  goal   is  not  completely  out  of  reach.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

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Conclusion      The   IAPHL  online  discussion   forum  has  proven   to  be  a  useful  way  of   engaging   the  global  health  supply  chain  and  logistics  community  on  the  complex  issue  of  gender  in  humanitarian  logistics.  With  32  posts  from  participants  from  13  different  countries,  it   is   clear   that   this   discussion   topic   was   of   particular   interest   to   members   and,  indeed,   the   findings   make   a   valuable   contribution   to   existing   limited   research   on  gender  issues  in  humanitarian  logistics.      It   is   clear   that   there   is   a   continuing   lack   of   female   humanitarian   logisticians,   with  barriers   including   the   difficulty   of   balancing   work   and   family   life,   as   well   as   the  general  perception  of   logistics  as  a  domain   for  men,  being  particularly  challenging.  Organisational   transformation  has   been   argued   as   central   to   getting  more  women  into   humanitarian   logistics   and,   as   such,   there   needs   to   be   a   focus   on   developing  appropriate  processes  that  support  female  applicants,  without  disadvantaging  their  male   colleagues.   Women   also   need   to   be   a   part   of   changing   perceptions   and  showing  the  field  of  humanitarian  logistics  and  health  supply  chains  that  a  dedicated  woman  will  not  be  stopped.      It  is  also  important  to  recognise  that  policies  in  the  workplace  which  promote  gender  equality  will  not  lead  to  immediate  changes  in  the  way  women  are  treated/viewed;  it  will  take  time  to  change  cultural  views  and  stigma.  But  there  are  signs  of  positive  change  within  some  organisations  that  participants  in  this  research  have  highlighted,  and   the   field   of   humanitarian   logistics   needs   to   take   note   of   these   and   work   in  unison   to   ensure   women   contribute   their   unique   and   valuable   skillsets   within  humanitarian  logistics.      The  underlying  message  of  this  research  is  not  to  say  that  women  are  better  suited  to  working  in  health  logistics  than  men,  but  that  both  have  different  skills  which  are  needed   if   the   most   efficient   and   effective   service   is   to   be   provided   to   the   end  beneficiary.                                  

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Recommendations  for  future  research    Whilst  this  study  has  contributed  to  the  current  limited  literature  base  on  gender  in  humanitarian   logistics   in   terms   of   focusing   on   what   attracts   and   hinders   women  from  entering  this  profession  (Kovács  and  Tatham,  2009),  a  review  of  existing  studies  has  revealed  a  number  of  important  gaps  that  remain  to  be  addressed.      The   first  of   these   is   to  evaluate  how  humanitarian   logisticians  can  mitigate  against  the  gender  disadvantages  faced  by  beneficiaries  in  the  aftermath  of  a  disaster.  War-­‐related   violence  which   targets   females,   and  men   leaving   poverty-­‐stricken   areas   in  search  of  work  elsewhere,  are  two  such  examples  of  gender  disadvantages  (ibid).  As  part  of  this  process,   it  will  be  recognised  that  cultural  specificities  will  also  form  an  important   part   of   considerations   about   access   to   those  who   are   the   recipients   or  potential  recipients  of  the  services  of  the  humanitarian  logistician.      Second,   whilst   this   research   has   touched   upon   the   skills   required   of   a   “good”  logistician,  there  is  a  need  for  further  research  which  investigates  the  existence  and  extent  of  links  between  gender,  skills  and  logistics  performance.      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Wouters,  M.  and  Wilderom,  C.  (2008),  “Developing  performance-­‐measurement  systems  as  enabling  formalization:  A  longitudinal  field  study  of  a  logistics  department”,  Accounting,  Organizations  and  Society,  Vol.33  No.4/5,  pp.488-­‐516.  

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Appendix      Appendix   A:   Detailed   Evidence   Brief   for   Theme   1   –   The   Impact   of  Gender  on  Health  Supply  Chain  Delivery  

         Moderator:  Pamela  Steele,  Director,  Pamela  Steele  and  Associates  Ltd.    

 Brief  moderator   bio:   Pamela   Steele   is   director   and   principal   consultant   at   Pamela  Steele  Associated  (PSA)  Ltd,  a  consultancy  specializing  in  supply  chain  management  in   the   international   development   and   humanitarian   sectors.   Pam   has   an   MBA   in  Supply  Chain  Management  and   is   a  doctoral   (DBA)   student  at  Cranfield  University,  UK,  researching  the  health  supply  chain  in  developing  countries.  She  is  the  incoming  Lead  of  the  People  that  Deliver  Initiative  Research  Working  Group.  Pam’s  career  has  spanned   over   25   years   in   logistics   and   supply   chain  management   in   international  development.  Previous  employers  include  UNICEF,  UNFPA,  Oxfam  Great  Britain,  the  International  Committee  of  the  Red  Cross  (ICRC)  and  World  Vision  International.    Discussion  dates:  7th-­‐11th  September  2015      Background  to  discussion:  In  2006,  Pamela  Steele  was  working  as  head  of  global  logistics  and  supply  operations  for  Oxfam  and  saw  first-­‐hand  how  aid  was  delivered  in  the  aftermath  of  the  Indian  Asian  Tsunami  disaster  which  killed  230,000  people  in  14  countries.  It  prompted  her  to   raise   the   question:   why   were   there   so   few   women   in   humanitarian   logistics?  Although   logistics  and  supply  chain   is  more  male  dominated,  Pam  wanted  to  know  whether  a  lack  of  diversity  in  the  workforce  has  any  impact  on  beneficiaries?  She  has  been   thinking   a   lot   about   the   lack   of   adequate,   trained   health   supply   chain  professionals  and  the  impact  on  health  care  delivery.    Women   (and   children)   are  often   the  ones  needing  health   care  or   tend   to   visit   the  clinic  most,  be   it   for  family  planning,  during  pregnancy,  childbirth  and  after  to  take  their  loved  one  to  the  clinic.  Would  having  a  balanced  workforce  of  men  and  women  working   in  health  supply  chain,  particularly   in   the   last  mile   (service  delivery  point),  help  improve  supply  chain  performance  and  therefore  health  care  delivery  to  meet  the  needs  and  aspirations  of  the  patients  they  serve?    Theme  1  seeding  questions  The  following  questions  were  used  to  prompt  discussion:    

1. Does  gender  balance  have  an   impact  on   the  delivery  of  health   logistics  and  supply  chain  services?  

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2. Does   the   gender   of   employees   have   a   significant   effect   on   public   health  supply  chain  delivery?  

3. Can   you   provide   examples   where   gender   has   had   a   positive   or   negative  impact  on  logistics  and  the  supply  chain?  

 Further  reading:  Enarson,   E.   (2002)   Chapter   2:   Gender   issues   in   natural   disasters:   talking   points   on  research  needs”,  in  Working  Paper  7,  ILO  InFocus  Programme  on  Crisis  Response  and  Reconstruction,  Crises,  Women  and  Other  Gender  Concerns,  pp.  5-­‐12,  available  at:  www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/crisis/download/wp7.pdf   (accessed   1  September  2015).      Kovács,  G.  and  Tatham,  P.  (2008)  The  effects  of  gender  on  humanitarian  logistics,  in  Beyond  Business  Logistics,  NOFOMA  2008  Proceedings.  Autere,  V.,  Bask,  A.,  Kovács,  G.,   Spens,   K.   &   Tanskanen,   K.   (eds.).   Helsinki:   LOGY   -­‐   Suomen   Osto-­‐   ja  Logistiikkayhdistys,  p.  329-­‐342.    Kovács,   G.   and   Tatham,   P.   (2009)   Humanitarian   logistics   performance   in   light   of  gender,   International   Journal  of  Productivity  and  Performance  Management,  58(2),  174-­‐187.    WISE   (2006)   Humanitarian   Logistics   –   A   Career   for   Women,   WISE,   available   at:  http://www.wise.uk.net/publications/Humanitarian_Logistics.pdf      Steele,   P.   and   Kovács,   G.   (2013)   Gender   and   humanitarian   logistics   –   a   situational  update,   in   Managing   Humanitarian   Supply   Chains   –   Strategies,   Practices   and  Research,   Hellingrath,   B.,   Link,   D.   &   Widera,   A.   (eds.).   Bremen:   BVL   -­‐  Bundesvereinigung  Logistik,  p.  298-­‐313.                                        

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Appendix   B:   Detailed   Evidence   Brief   for   Theme   2   –   Mainstreaming  Gender  in  Health  Supply  Chains    

         Moderator:  Aggie  Kalungu-­‐Banda  

 Brief   moderator   bio:   Aggie   is   an   experienced,   highly  motivated   and  make-­‐things-­‐happen   manager,   facilitator,   trainer   and   non-­‐executive   coach.   She   has   worked   at  senior   management   level   and   has   a   20-­‐year   track   record   of   working   effectively  across  cultures  in  Europe,  Asia,  Africa  and  the  Middle  East.  Aggie  has  over  10  years  of   experience   in   gender   and   participatory   development   processes.   Previously,   she  has  worked  at  the  YWCA  in  England  and  Wales,  Oxfam  GB  as  a  Gender  Adviser  in  the  Humanitarian  Department  and  she  was  Executive  Director  for  the  National  Women's  Lobby  Group   in  Zambia   (a  group  dedicated   to   increasing   the  number  of  women   in  decision  making  at  all  levels).  Aggie  also  worked  for  YWCA  in  Zambia,  where  she  was  the  first  co-­‐ordinator  at  the  Drop  in  Centre  that  was  established  for  abused  women.    Discussion  dates:  14th-­‐18th  September  2015      Background  to  discussion:  Welcome   to  Week  Two  of   this   three-­‐week  discussion  on  mainstreaming   gender   in  health  supply  chain.    In  the  previous  week's  discussion,  we  focused  on  gender  balance  and  its   impact  on  health   supply   chain   operations.   This   week's   discussion   will   focus   on   behavioural  expectations  of  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce.    Similar   to   last   week,   I   will   be   posting   a   question   every   other   day   for   the   IAPHL  community  to  discuss,  provide  comments,  and  ask  more  questions.  At  the  end  of  the  week,  I  will  provide  a  summary  of  our  discussion  over  the  week.    Theme  2  seeding  questions  The  following  questions  were  used  to  prompt  discussion:    

1. What   are   the   behavioural   expectations   of   the   health   logistics   and   supply  chain   workforce   and   what   impact   does   this   have   on   the   participation   of  women  in  the  sector?  

2. What   stops   women   from   joining   the   health   logistics   and   supply   chain  workforce?      

     

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Further  reading:  Kovács,  G.  and  Tatham,  P.  (2009)  Logistics  skills  and  performance  in  the  “for  profit”  and  “not   for  profit”   sectors,  Volatile  and  Fragile  Supply  Chains,  Proceedings  of   the  LRN  Annual  Conference  2009,  pp.  334-­‐340.    Kovács,   G.   et   al.   (2011)   Gender   mainstreaming   in   humanitarian   purchasing,  presented  at  Horn  of  Africa  Conference,  Lund,  Sweden.    Kovács,   G.   et   al.   (2012)   Gender  Mainstreaming   in   Purchasing   in   the   Humanitarian  Context,   presented   at   The   Role   of  Women   in   Promoting   Peace   and  Development,  Annual  Conference  on  the  Horn  of  Africa,  Lund,  Sweden.      WISE   (2006)   Humanitarian   Logistics   –   A   Career   for   Women,   WISE,   available   at:  http://www.wise.uk.net/publications/Humanitarian_Logistics.pdf                                                                      

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Appendix  C:  Detailed  Evidence  Brief   for   Theme  3  –   The   Impact  of  HR  Policies  on  Gender  Balance  in  Health  Supply  Chains    

         Moderator:  Andrew  N.  Brown,  PhD  BPharm    

 Brief   moderator   bio:  Andrew   Brown   is   the   Consultant   Executive  Manager   for   the  People  that  Deliver  (PtD)  Initiative.  He  joined  the  Initiative  in  June  2013  following  an  Assistant   Professor   position   at   the   University   of   Canberra.   He   is   a   pharmacist   by  background   with   an   18-­‐year   career   in   hospital   and   community   pharmacy  management,   before   engaging   in   supply   chain  management   capacity   development  since  2007.  His  initial  country-­‐based  activity  has  been  in  the  Asia  Pacific  Region  with  UNFPA  and  WHO.  More  recently  he  has  had  the  privilege  of  engaging  with  the  PtD  focus  countries  in  Africa.    Discussion  dates:  21st-­‐25th  September  2015    Background  to  discussion:  In   this   final   week   I   am   interested   in   considering   this   discussion   from   a   policy  perspective.   As  we  think  about  a  systematic  approach  to  human  resources   in  organisations  PtD  talks  about  working  on  five  building  blocks3.                                                                                                                                              3  As  developed  by  CapacityPlus  (CapacityPlus  2011)  and  modified  by  the  USAID  |  DELIVER  PROJECT  (2013)  ;  CapacityPlus.  2011.  Serving  Health  Workers,  Saving  Lives.  (accessed  September  9,  2011).  http://www.capacityplus.org/sites/intrah.civicactions.net/files/resources/CapacityPlus_Brochure_0.pdf)    

 

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   Some  of  these  building  blocks  have  been  noted  in  discussions  so  far,  as  have  aspects  of   culture   in   regard   to   gender   issues   around   service   delivery   and   supply   chain  activities.  Sometimes  how  workplace  policies  are  written  can  affect  gender  diversity  in  the  workplace.    Theme  3  seeding  questions  The  following  questions  were  used  to  prompt  discussion:    

1. Do  you  think  the  human  resources  policies  of  your  organisation  encourage  or  prevent  a  certain  gender   from  engaging   in  health   logistics  and  supply  chain  careers?  

2. What   do   you   think   needs   to   change   in   order   to   create   a   greater   gender  balance  in  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  careers?  

 Further  reading:  Brown,  A.  (no  date)  Submission  on  behalf  of  People  that  Deliver:  Public  consultation  to   inform   the   Global   Strategy   on   Human   Resources   for   Health,   #8:   Building   on  human   capability   beyond   the   sector,   World   Health   Organisation,   available   at:  http://www.who.int/workforcealliance/media/news/2014/17PtD_GHWA.pdf      Irving,  P.  et  al.  (2014)  Improving  Women’s  Visibility  –  The  unseen  gender  in  transport  and  logistics,  Women  in  Supply  Chain  Executive,  Melbourne,  AUS.    People  that  Deliver  (2013)  Rising  to  the  challenge  of  improving  human  resources  for  health  supply  chains  –  SE16,  10th  November  2013,  available  at:  http://www.peoplethatdeliver.org/sites/peoplethatdeliver.org/files/PtD%20Side%20Event%2010th%20Nov%202013.pdf      People  that  Deliver  (2014)  Why  human  resources  in  supply  chain  management  are  important  and  how  can  they  be  strengthened?  Available  at  http://www.peoplethatdeliver.org/sites/peoplethatdeliver.org/files/1%20WHAT%20is%20an%20HR%20for%20SCM%20approach%20Jan%202014.pdf      WISE   (2006)   Humanitarian   Logistics   –   A   Career   for   Women,   WISE,   available   at:  http://www.wise.uk.net/publications/Humanitarian_Logistics.pdf                        

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Appendix  D:  Participant  Responses  for  Theme  1    

Post  no.  

Response  

1   At  service  delivery  only  female  can  have  access  to  women  in  puddah  (this  is  a  religious  situation  that  keeps  married  women  indoors  and  they  cannot  be  visited  by  any  male  except  the  husband  and  children)  Administering  female  reproductive  health  and  hygiene  supplies  like  sanitary  supplies  etc.    I  will  continue  later    Benedict    

2   I  think  that  before  we  delve  into  this  topic,  it  might  be  useful  to  have  as  a  point  of  departure  some  reference  to  what  the  gender  situation  is/has  been  in  more  general  Supply  Chains  including,  for  example,  the  Military,  from  where  the  issue  of  "Logistics"  seems  to  have  evolved.  This  way,  we  might  get  to  observe  any  peculiarities  with  specific  reference  to  the  more  recently  exposed  Health  Supply  Chains,  and  if  so,  analyze  and  conclude  more  accurately  with  recommendations  for  possible  ways  forward.    Also,  it  is  important  to  analyze  Supply  Chain  gender  issues  from  a  standpoint  of  where  along  the  Chain  we  make  any  observations,  as  we  move  from  strategic  to  operational  levels.    Drawing  from  my  own  career  experience,  I  have  to  say  that  four  out  of  five  supervisors  I  worked  for/with  over  two  decades  were  female!    In  fact,  on  a  rather  lighter  but  factual  note,  I  recall  that  in  a  middle-­‐level  management  Supply  Chain  job  interview  in  2002,  the  last  question  I  was  asked  was  that  as  the  team  the  successful  candidate  was  going  to  join  was  mainly  comprised  of  females,  whether  I  would  have  any  difficulty  in  such  a  situation!  -­‐  I  probably  won  the  day  by  'smartly'  responding  that  women  have  always  loved  me,  and  as  such  I  will  add  to  motivating  the  team!    One  of  the  areas  I  found  the  gender  of  my  supervisors  being  an  important  issue,  for  reasons  I  cannot  forcibly  explain,  is  Supply  Chain  fund  raising  and  spend  control.  I  was  always  tempted  to  believe    that  my  female  supervisors  were  very  effective  at  fund  raising  and  subsequent  disbursement  control  of  Supply  chain  work,  by  virtue  of  their  gender.  Of  course,  this  may  be  debatable.    However,  further  away  to  operational  issues,  such  as  Clearing  and  Forwarding,  which  often  requires  very  long  hours  at  usually  chaotic  ports,  and  unmechanized  warehouse  operations,  I  experienced  more  males  in  action.    From  these  rather  limited  experiences,  I  suggest  that  "Body  and  Mind"  issues,  in  as  far  they  may  be  influenced  by  Gender,  are  worth  reflecting  on  for  the  current  discussion.    Murtada  

3   Based  my  hands-­‐on  experiences  and  observations,  it  is  clear  that  there  is  a  significant  gender  gap  in  supply  chain  business.  Ethiopia  was  the  best  example  to  cite.  When  I  was  working  in  the  pharmaceuticals  supply  chain  system,  I  came  to  note  that  there  were  a  couple  of  women  in  the  major  supply  chain  functional  areas:  quantification  and  procurement,  warehouse  and  distribution,  LMIS,  and  etc.  But  this  does  not  mean  that  women  do  not  have  the  skillset  and  ability  to  succeed  within  the  industry.    Women  are  as  capable  as  men  when  it  comes  to  working  within  the  supply  chain  

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industry.    Research  conducted  by  SCM  World  found  that  the  majority  of  men  (63%)  and  women  (75%)  believe  that  the  natural  skillsets  of  women  differ  from  those  of  men  and  that  these  differences  are  advantageous  for  supply  chain  management    Addis  

4   Attempting  to  answer  week  one  questions:    1.  Does  gender  balance  have  an  impact  on  the  delivery  of  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  services?    Viewing  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  services  holistically  and  from  a  Nigerian  perspective,  the  SDPs  play  a  key  role  as  David  asserts,  providing  that  interphase  in  the  supply  chain  with  the  final  end  user.  In  Nigeria,  Primary  Health  Centers  (PHCs)  make  up  about  80%  of  health  institutions  &  serve  as  the  first  point  of  call  in  any  public  health  situation  for  majority  of  Nigerians.  These  centers  are  majorly  managed  by  Nurses,  Midwives  or  Community  Health  Extension  Workers  popularly  referred  to  as  CHEWs.  This  category  of  health  workers  are  majorly  of  the  female  gender  as  it  is  believed  that  they  have  the  ability  to  connect  more  with  clients  in  addition  to  cultural  sensitivities  when  it  involves  female  patients  who  dominate  clinic  visits.  Going  up  the  supply  chain  ladder,  the  gender  focus  changes  as  we  see  a  more  male  dominated  circuit  which  I  think  is  as  a  result  of  the  general  perception  of  the  concept  of  supply  chain.    Based  on  the  forgoing,  I  would  agree  that  gender  balance  has  an  impact  on  the  delivery  of  supply  chain  solutions.  While  the  current  structure  as  played  out  in  the  Nigerian  context  may  show  some  form  of  balance  based  on  level  of  supply  chain  service,  gender  issues  still  play  out  across  the  different  divides.  A  male  client  visiting  an  SDP  in  a  particular  region  may  be  uncomfortable  receiving  family  planning  counselling  from  a  female  nurse  or  CHEW.    2.  Does  the  gender  of  employees  have  a  significant  effect  on  health  supply  chain  delivery?    Answering  this  question  using  the  Nigerian  context  again,  it  depends  on  the  level  at  which  such  employee  operates  as  well  as  prevailing  cultural  sensitivities.  While  a  female  health  worker  will  function  effectively  when  attending  to  female  clients  and  children,  the  same  cannot  be  said  if  a  male  client  is  involved,  especially  in  areas  that  view  such,  as  negative  cultural  practices.  A  female  distribution  vendor  will  find  it  very  difficult  to  cope  in  a  male  dominated  environment  as  the  demand  of  the  work  requires  certain  levels  of  physicality  that  is  traditionally  ascribed  to  the  male  gender.  An  area  where  gender  differences  will  not  have  any  significant  effect  is  at  a  much  higher  level  of  the  supply  chain  where  decisions  are  being  made  such  as  the  state,  regional  or  central  level.    3.  Can  you  provide  examples  where  gender  has  positive  or  negative  impact  on  logistics  and  the  supply  chain?    The  PHCs  I  have  described  previously  can  serve  as  an  example  where  gender  can  have  both  positive  or  negative  impact  on  logistics  and  the  supply  chain.  A  man  will  feel  very  comfortable  allowing  his  wife  to  be  examined  by  a  female  health  practitioner  rather  than  a  male  personnel  due  to  some  region  specific  cultural  sensitivities.  This  same  man  will  not  be  willing  to  receive  family  planning  counselling  or  even  accept  condoms  from  the  same  female  practitioner.    Matthew      

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5   Gender  does  not  have  a  balanced  impact  in  Health  Supply  Chains;  this  is  an  area  that  Medics  thinks  is  automatic  -­‐  that  if  you  are  a  medic  or  a  Pharmacist  you  can  be  one  without  going  through  formal  training  in  Supply  chain  as  a  profession  Persse.  The  gender  balance  is  a  deficiency  in  that  categories  of  Supply  Chain  maters  to  many  and  what  they  studied  to  make  them  what  they  are.  The  environment  of  which  the  supply  chain  are  set  to  function  are  mostly  unique  and  remote  for  example  non  family  duty  station,  Africa  rural  areas  may  hinder  gender  balance  but  meanwhile  Women  and  Men  are  equal  professionally  but  the  question  is:  Are  there  equal  number  of  Women  and  Men  professional  as  per  the  Health  Supply  Chain?  This  is  a  concern  worldwide.  The  bottom  line  is  that  the  Women  who  have  ever  held  the  posts  of  Health  Supply  Chain  has  ever  been  the  best  than  what  the  Men  has  done.    David    

6   Dear  colleagues,    It's  been  interesting  reading  through  the  various  contributions.  Now  in  response  to  the  third  question,  I  have  had  occasions  at  SDPs  where  a  female  client  was  completely  uncomfortable  with  a  male  pharmacist  explaining  to  her  how  to  use  a  vaginal  pessary.    I  think  the  issue  is  more  critical  at  service  delivery  points  and  it's  culture  dependent.    However,  each  organisation  may  have  its  reservations  for  allowing  any  form  of  lop-­‐sidedness  to  suit  different  aspects  or  stages  of  the  supply  chain.  Hence,  for  the  other  two  questions,  I  stand  with  Matthew's  viewpoints.    Thank  you,  Ifeoluwa    

                                           

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Appendix  E:  Participant  Responses  for  Theme  2    Post  no.  

Response  

1   Dear  IAPHL  members,    You  have  been  quiet,  I  hope  the  questions  are  not  too  difficult.  May  be  I  should  share  from  my  experience  if  that  can  help.  Regarding  the  first  question:    What  are  the  behavioural  expectations  of  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce  and  what  impact  does  this  have  on  the  participation  of  women  and  men  in  the  sector?    What  I  used  to  see  in  the  field  was  most  humanitarian  logisticians  behaving  macho,  and  the  few  women  I  met  in  logistics  tried  to  look  tough  like  the  men,  speak  like  the  men  when  they  could  have  been  themselves  and  still  do  their  jobs  without  losing  their  gender  identity.    Regarding  the  second  question:    What  stops  women  from  joining  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  work  force?    Again,  my  experience  in  emergencies  was  that  there  were  serious  security  concerns  and  in  some  cases  cultural  issues  that  prevented  women  from  joining  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  work  force.    There  were  also,  some  practical  barriers,  such  as  long  working  hours  away  from  home.  The  low  education  levels  of  women  was  also  a  barrier  when  it  came  to  the  recruitment  of  local  staff.    I  look  forward  to  hear  your  experiences.  Aggie    

2   Question  1:  What  are  the  behavioural  expectations  of  the  health  Logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce  and  what  impact  does  this  have  on  the  participation  of  women  and  men  in  the  sector?    The  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce  are  expected  to  work  even  under  very  difficult  and  stressful  conditions  both  men  and  women.  This  has  created  a  situation  where  you  find  more  women  concentrated  on  specific  areas  of  operation  and  men  in  some  areas,  i.e.  during  emergency  situations  in  very  remote  areas  there  is  never  a  proportionate  representation  of  women  and  men  workforce  because  of  a  certain  perception.  Practically  women  and  man  are  able  to  perform  the  same  duties  in  the  logistics  and  supply  chain  but  there  is  a  perception  that  woman  work  better  in  certain  environments  than  men  and  vice-­‐versa,  thereby  restricting  participation  of  both  in  the  logistics  and  supply  chain.    Question  2.  What  stops  woman  from  joining  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce?    It  is  perceived  that  women  are  not  able  to  work  under  very  stressful  environment  and  cannot  work  during  odd  hours.  This  perception  stops  women  from  joining  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce  since  because  of  the  situation  on  the  ground  working  hours  are  extended  and  sometimes  with  little  or  no  rest.    Prepared  by:  Petros    

3   I  recently  joined  the  IAPHL  group.  Usually  I  would  enjoy  the  observer  and  learner  privilege  whenever  I  find  myself  in  a  relatively  new  environment.    Nevertheless,  Pam  you  have  

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succeeded  in  calling  a  halt  to  my  solely  observing  and  learning  stand.  Congrats!    I  have  been  supporting  several  developing  countries  in  the  area  of  their  health  supply  chain  and  distribution.  From  my  experience  and  some  health  logisticians  feedback,  I  would  say    1)  What  are  the  behavioural  expectations  of  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce  and  what  impact  does  this  have  on  the  participation  of  women  and  men  in  the  sector?    It  is  generally  expected  from  logisticians  to  be  "tout  terrain"  including  the  ability  to  complete  administrative,  negotiation,  handy  tasks...  They  should  then  be  able  to  anticipate  and  perform  well  in  rough  and  high  risky  environment.  In  addition,  logisticians  are  expected  to  live  their  lives  100%  for  their  job,  meaning  they  should  be  ready  for  duty  call  at  any  time  and  season,  come  rain  come  sun!  This  later  expectation  goes  beyond  the  common  gender  mainstreaming  and  raise  the  question  whether  people  with  no  other  responsibility  (family  for  instance)  than  their  work,  would/should  be  given  priority  for  health  logisticians  positions?    2)  What  stops  woman  from  joining  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce?    The  first  barrier  is  tied  to  cultural  beliefs  or  perception  specially  in  developing  countries  where  it  is  believed  that  logistics  should  exclusively  be  reserved  for  men.    Perhaps,  as  logistics  is  commonly  perceived  as  lifting/loading/offloading  heavy  loads,  ignoring  sound  planning,  organizing  and  coordinating  skills  in  which  women  would  naturally  excel.    The  second  will  be  lack  of  conducive  environment  for  work.  Specially  in  the  public  sector,  logisticians  will  be  assigned  to  a  couple  of  tasks,  but  means  to  effectively  achieve  these  will  not  always  follow.  So  they  are  usually  left  to  themselves,  no  provision  would  be  made  for  their  safety  and  health  security.  They  have  to  risk  their  lives  to  deliver    Thirdly  but  not  the  least  nor  the  last,  as  back  office  staff,  logisticians  contribution  to  the  whole  health  system  is  often  neglected,  not  recognized  or  valued.  In  some  worst  cases,  logisticians  are  viewed  as  people  without  ambition  or  poorly  educated.    In  summary,  women  have  the  required  potential  to  take  health  logistics  positions.  However,  they  will  compare  well  to  fellow  men  in  well-­‐established  and  organized  societies.  Whereas,  in  developing  countries,  even  when  some  women  will  do  well  in  prudent  planning,  coordinating  implementation  of  logistics  activities,  their  authority  is  usually  challenged.  This  leading  them  to  always  have  to  prove  that  they  are  up  to  the  task  which  is  not  only  draining  but  demotivating.    Carine      

4   Hello  all,    1.What  are  the  behavioural  expectations  of  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce  and  what  impact  does  this  have  on  the  participation  of  women  and  men  in  the  sector?    Behavioural  expectations  can  be  said  to  be  tied  to  functional  areas.  Supply  chain  administration,  human  resource  and  finance  roles  require  highly  organized  and  coordinated  persons  and  I  have  observed  that  these  roles  are  dominated  within  organizations  by  the  female  gender.  It  is  even  possible  that  the  male  folks  are  sometimes  discriminated  against  in  these  functional  areas.  Supply  chain  operations  depict  a  functional  area  that  requires  high  levels  of  physicality  thus  presenting  more  males  than  females.  Other  functional  technical  areas  including  LMIS  do  not  present  any  major  

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behavioural  characteristics  with  the  exception  of  extended  hours  of  work  as  Carine  aptly  attested  to  and  you  observe  that  both  genders  are  fairly  represented  here.    Matthew    

5   Dear  members;  1.What  are  the  behavioural  expectations  of  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce  and  what  impact  does  this  have  on  the  participation  of  women  and  men  in  the  sector?    Our  cultural  behavioural  considerations  still  negatively  impact  the  women  participation  in  the  health  logistic  and  supply  chain  sector  as  well  as  the  gender  approach  in  general.  In  this  cultural  (I'm  African)  consideration,  the  women  would  be  removed  from  the  heavy  works.  Logistic  is  still  considered  just  as  the  health  products  physical  distribution  activities  (loading/offloading,  as  said  by  Carine  Olinga).  So  we  would  continue  the  efforts  of  institutionalization  of  logistic  functions  from  which  the  good  clarifications  of  logistic  tasks  would  stimulate  equal  men  and  women  participation    2.  What  stops  women  from  joining  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  work  force?  The  above  environmental  consideration  usually  stop  women  to  join  logistics  jobs.  Also  the  health  system  (not  necessarily  the  men)  which  still  consider  the  above  bad  logistic  conception,  give  few  chances  to  some  ambitious  women  who  are  trying  to  join  this  sector.          François    

6   Hello  everyone    This  is  my  first  contribution  to  a  discussion  in  this  respected  group!    I've  graduated  from  the  University  of  Ahfad  for  women,  it  is  only  for  women  to  the  memorial  of  the  pioneer  and  leader  of  women  education  in  Sudan;  Sheikh  Babikir  Badry  1907.    I  have  this  passion  about  public  health  issues  since  my  undergraduate  study!      We  are  brought  up  in  this  university  as  independent,  educated  and  passionate  women  that  believe  in  themselves  and  their  potentialities...    Serving  as  UN  VOLUNTEER  in  UNDP-­‐GFATM,  and  being  based  at  the  national  medical  supplies  (previously  Central  medical  supplies),  as  supply  chain  associate  had  provided  me  with  the  opportunity  to  fulfil  my  passion  about  public  health  logistics  and  availed  me  with  a  chance  to    discover  how  to  use  what  others  believe  as  a  weakness  and  positively  change  it  into  an  opportunity  and  strength  advantage.    Public  health  logistics'  requirements  in  my  own  point  of  view  are  all  about  dedication  in  achieving  availability  and  accessibility  of  quality  health  commodities  to  meet  the  6  rights  or  the  7  rights  according  to  Pam  update.    Let  us  think  it  over,      Dedication;  I  think  it  is  crystal  clear  that  a  dedicated  woman  won't  be  stopped  by  any  barriers  from  reaching  the  required  objectives;  even  if  it  is  about  long  shifts  and  tough  working  conditions!    What  I  am  really  proud  of  is  that  in  Sudan;  especially  in  NMSF,  we  have  so  many  females  logisticians  whom  are  highly  competitive  and  qualified  to  lead  the  public  health  logistics  movements  in  Sudan;    

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 I  strongly  agreed  with  Pam  when  I  attended  that  course  of  SCCD,  when  we  had  a  discussion  about  how  humanitarian  field  is  the  right  choice  for  a  woman,  by  making  use  of  their  affection  and  true  care  about  others.    The  behavioural  expectations  of  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  are  well  suited  for  women  as  well  as  -­‐if  not  more-­‐  for  men,  and  it  is  just  about  the  time  to  female  public  logisticians  to  take  the  lead!  Even  in  the  crisis  and  stressful  situations;  female  logisticians  prove  to  be  trust  worthy  and  very  efficient  handling  them!    As  long  as  we  are  the  half  of  the  society  and  we  are  bringing  up  the  other  half;  we  are  entitled  to  hold  any  position  in  supply  chain  management  activities!      I  can't  wait  to  read  the  rest  of  the  emails  I  received  about  this  topic!    All  respect  to  all  members.    Regards  Alaa  

7   You  seem  to  be  rightly  placed  for  this  discussion.  In  your  experience,  which  sector  of  the  humanitarian  supply  chain  have  a  good  representation  from  women  or  do  you  think  fair  involvement  of  women  cut  across  all  sectors  of  the  chain?    Thanks,  Matthew    

8   Greetings    I  see  women  behind  shop  counters,  market  stalls  and  carrying  products  to  sell  on  their  heads  or  in  their  hands.  Is  this  not  supply  chain?  I  see  women  carrying  wood  or  water  far  beyond  my  means  and  working  ridiculous  hours  in  the  fields.  Cooking  and  sharing  out  the  food  to  their  families.  Does  this  not  make  them  capable  of  doing  distribution?    The  level  of  education  they  have  received  may  limit  their  abilities  to  communicate  or  calculate  but  there  are  ways  and  means  around  this  to  make  use  of  the  skills  they  do  have.    I  have  simply  tried  to  earn  respect  regardless  of  what  sex  I  am  and  only  in  a  couple  of  places  have  I  felt  that  the  supply  chain  might  be  compromised  because  I  am  a  woman  but  I  found  ways  around  that  too.    Whilst  I  am  physically  able  I  will  pitch  into  carrying  goods  with  my  team  if  appropriate.  It  does  mean  bruises  and  broken  nails  but  it  helps  my  fitness  levels  if  I  carry  safely.    But  yes  if  the  job  involves  leaving  your  area  or  country  then  there  are  the  sacrifices  in  your  personal  life  that  you  have  to  decide  if  it's  worth  it  and  I  have  been  grateful  to  my  friends  for  stepping  up  to  support  my  mother  when  I  am  not  around.    Katie    

9   Thank  you  ladies,  Carine,  Alaa  and  Katie  who  have  responded  to  my  desperate  call  for  women  to  'come  out'  !  Now  I  know  they  are  there,  and  they  care  about  gender  and  diversity!  And  thank  you  too  to  the  men  who  have  continued  to  see  this  discussion  progress  by  sharing  their  experiences  with  respect  and  appreciation  of  the  gender  barriers  for  both  men  and  women  in  health  and  humanitarian  interventions.  I  have  always  know  that  health  and  humanitarian  requires  a  diverse  workforce,  men  and  women  working  together  and  complementing  each  other  and  producing  fantastic  results.  This  diversity  in  IAPHL  is  our  strength,  and  critical  in  operations  where  lives  are  at  risk.  

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 This  is  Aggie's  week  for  moderation  so  I  will  leave  the  rest  to  her  to  comment  on,  but  I  will  share  this  from  my  experience.  Health  and  humanitarian  arena  is  still  a  male  -­‐dominated  profession.  I  have  worked  hard  to  become  recognised  as  an  experienced  practitioner  who  understands  logistics  &  supply  chain  in  health  and  humanitarian  situations-­‐not  just  because  I  am  a  woman.  I  have  derived  much  career  satisfaction  knowing  that  my  contribution  saves  lives  and  helps  restore  dignity  and  hope  to  the  victims  of  diseases  and  human  made  and  natural  disasters.  However,  when  my  daughters  were  younger  (they  are  27  and  25  yrs  old  if  you  are  wondering:))  it  was  a  challenge  balancing  my  career  development  with  being  a  mother  and  a  wife  but  I  still  enjoyed  my  career.  I  remember  the  days  when  I  would  sit  in  conferences  with  global  heads  of  humanitarian  logistics  98%  of  who  were  male,  I  always  made  sure  my  voice  was  heard  in  the  room.  So,  yes,  like  Carine,  Alaa  and  Katie  have  pointed,  it  is  about  what  drives  you,  what  you  are  passionate  about  and  if  it  is  saving  others  lives  then  it  does  not  know  gender!  There  are  things  that  can  be  done  to  address  some  of  the  challenges  that  have  been  mentioned  but  that  is  a  subject  for  discussion  next  week  led  by  Andrew  Brown.  In  all  my  career  life  I  have  always  encouraged  women  to  venture  into  logistics  and  supply  chain  as  it  develops  hard  skills  with  the  potential  for  career  progression  and  satisfaction.  Someone  just  told  me  to  keep  quiet........that's  just  what  I  am  going  to  do  right  away!      Let's  hear  from  you,  those  who  care  about  gender  and  diversity!    Pamela      

10   Dear  Aggie  Kalungu/Dear  All,    Thanks  for  the  question  and  the  drive  to  get  colleagues  to  respond.  I  quite  agree  with  you  on  some  of  the  points  giving  on  the  question  ‘What  are  the  behavioural  expectations  of  the  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  workforce  and  what  impact  does  this  have  on  the  participation  of  women  and  men  in  the  sector?’    In  addition  to  your  points  above,  from  experience,  I  have  also  observed  that  because  of  the  place  and  position  giving  to  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  in  most  health  facilities,  the  workforce  posted  and  working  there  are  very  inadequate,  and  the  logistics  officers  are  saddled  with  a  lot  of  work  to  the  extent  of  carrying  very  heavy  commodities  all  by  themselves,  which  most  women  will  not  do  as  it  requires  a  lot  of  energy  too.    Another  reason  also  is  that  health  logistics  and  supply  management  programs  are  not  common  in  majority  of  the  universities  and  most  commodity  managers  do  not  have  direct  training  in  logistics  and  supply  management  as  a  first  degree  from  the  university.  So  posting  one  to  work  in  the  supply  chain  management  office  is  most  times  based  on  the  discretion  of  the  head  of  the  unit.  With  the  new  trend  and  technological  development  (electronic  LMIS)  in  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  management,  I  see  an  influx  of  the  females  health  commodity  logistic  officers,  in  the  near  future,  and  this  influx  have  started  already  for  real.    These  are  just  my  personal  opinion  and  observation.    Austin.  

11   Dear  members,  I  do  not  have  any  direct  experience  in  the  field  of  Supply  Chain,  but  I  have  found  an  article  that  it  is  strongly  related  to  the  subject  and  you  may  find  of  interest:    Measuring  the  effect  of  gender-­‐based  aid  http://phys.org/news/2015-­‐09-­‐effect-­‐gender-­‐based-­‐aid.html    Kind  regards,  *Simon    

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12   Dear  Aggie  and  all,    As  the  week’s  discussion  draws  to  a  close,  I’d  like  to  encourage  women  in  health  and  humanitarian  logistics  and  supply  chain,  and  those  aspiring  to  join  and  not  miss  the  opportunity  to  experience  this  wonderful  career.  They  just  need  to  follow  their  hearts,  be  more  confident,  have  more  self-­‐belief,  learn  to  speak  up  on  issues  they  care  about,  and  to  take  their  place  at  the  podium  or  table!      In  my  experience  in  past  humanitarian  logistics  and  supply  chain  operations  I  rarely  saw  women  in  the  field,  and  the  few  who  were  there  were  either  involved  in  admin  roles,  or  if  they  attended  logistics  cluster  meetings  they  were  often  the  note  takers  but  not  coordinators  or  team  leaders,  those  role  tended  to  be  filled  by  men  which  made  me  wonder  whether  it  was  the  recruiting  policy  or  recruiters  biased  against  women  or  skilled  supply  chain  women  were  lacking…..    However,  I  have  come  across  a  few  women  who  chose  to  follow  their  hearts,  and  who  I  admire  for  their  braveness,  commitment  and  professionalism  in  contributing  to  the  noble  course  of  restoring  hope  and  dignity  to  people  affected  by  disease  or  disasters.  Among  the  few  role  models  I  know  in  my  network  are  Tabinda  Syed  from  Pakistan;  Eva  Ntenge  from  Uganda;  Rachida  Abdeli  from  France;  former  head  of  logistics  for  Save  the  Children,  Naomi  Bourne;  Associate  Director  for  ACF,  USA,  Nathalie  Rothschild  etc.  who  have  been  in  the  frontline  where  things  happen  in  the  first  phase  of  many  disasters  including  the  recent  big  ones,  making  things  happen!  Other  role  models  at  strategic  level  include  Shanelle  Hall,  Director,  UNICEF  Supply  Division;  Ertharin  Cousin,  Director,  World  Food  Programme  both  organizations  with  huge  logistics  operations.  And  if  you  look  further  in  humanitarian  and  development  there  are  women  in  executive  positions  who  I  admire  also,  they  include,  former  executive  director  for  Oxfam,  Barbara  Stocking  and  Jasmine  Whitebread,  the  first  chief  executive  of  Save  the  Children  International  to  mention  a  few.  For  me,  my  career  and  my  passion  was  intertwined  and  drove  me  to  venture  into  the  macho  dominated  career  until  I  hanged  my  boots  a  few  years  ago  because  there’s  always  a  time  for  everything  and  my  time  had  come  to  give  way  to  the  new  comer  young  blood  to  carry  on  from  where  I  left.  I  derived  so  much  satisfaction  from  it,  so  go  for  it  because  health  and  humanitarian  logistics  and  supply  chain  is  also  a  career  for  women.    Health  and  humanitarian  requires  a  diverse  workforce  to  address  health  and  humanitarian  challenges  that  affect  both  genders,  particularly  women  who  tend  to  bear  the  brunt  of  most  disasters,  be  it  from  disease  or  natural  or  human  made  calamities.  Thank  you  all  very  much  for  the  stimulating  discussion,  I’m  proud  of  all  of  you  and  proud  to  be  an  IAPHL  member  where  I  feel  I  have  professional  buddies  in  men  and  women.  In  the  filed  working  together,  side  by  side  with  men  then  so  much  can  be  achieved  to  improve  the  health  of  our  people.    Get  WISED  up,  click  here  to  read  the  experiences  of  other  women  and  learn  more  about  gender  and  health  and  humanitarian  supply  chains.  I  can't  wait  for  Andrew's  discussion!    I  am  now  off  to  go  fishing  to  feed  my  children….shhhhhh,  I  heard  someone  whisper  that  ‘  Pam,  that’s  a  job  for  men’…so  who  will  feed  my  children  if  I  don’t  do  it?...  I’m  out  of  here,  until  next  time  Pam  

13   You  guys  need  to  discuss  what  is  the  attitude  of  local  underdeveloped  government,  donors,  consultant,  expats,  INGs,  NGOs  towards  Logistics.  Why  no  one  invests  on  SCMS?  Like  the  private  sector?  How  important  is  SCMS  to  Wal-­‐Mart?  How  can  we  get  SCMS  it's  rightful  place  in  the  planning  process?  Why  is  only  logisticians  or  SCMS  blamed  if  there  shortage  or  wastage?  Why  is  SCMS's  contribution  not  recognized  when  a  program  becomes  successful?  If  you  construct  a  beautiful  swimming  pool,  it  useless  without  water.  It  is  like  designing  a  great  program  with  no  supplies.  We  need  to  work  on  the  importance  of  SCMS  and  this  message  across  to  the  so-­‐called  development  planners.  Once  we  do  this  

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the  gender  issue  will  take  care  of  itself    Comment  by  Pangday    

14                                          

Dear  all    Thank  you  for  an  enlightening  discussion  on  this  forum.  This  is  also  my  first  time  to  be  commenting  in  this  respected  and  professional  arena.    I  believe  the  problem  with  gender  representation  itself  goes  back  further  into  the  roots  of  the  parent  Logistics  Profession.  In  most  developing  countries,  whether  in  the  private,  public  or  humanitarian  sector,  the  logistics  profession  is  yet  to  receive  the  recognition  and  support  it  deserves  as  a  standalone  profession  or  career  path.  This  is  evidenced  by  the  scarcity  and  near  unavailability  of  logistics  academic  and  professional  courses  for  our  profession  leading  to  an  unclear  path  for  a  career  in  logistics,  so  in  most  cases  candidates  trickle  in  from  male  dominated  physically  demanding  commercial  transport  and  shipping  field  which  demands  strenuous  working  hours  and  at  most  times  geographical  displacement.  In  this  context  women  generally  tend  to  shun  this  profession  as  the  cost  of  raising  a  family  might  prove  too  high  for  a  career  choice.    So  it  is  my  belief  that  if  our  profession  gets  the  publicity  and  enters  into  mainstream  curricula  in  academic  circles,  balanced  representation  might  be  realized.    Regards  Albert    

15   Dear  Colleagues  ,    I  my  candid  opinion,  SC  and  specifically  logistics  practice  in  regions  like  the  Sub-­‐Sahara  has  been  mainly  done  in  a  manual  way.  Women  are  mostly  engaged  in  the  practice  to  carry  out  administrative  functions.  Manual  handling  of  supplies  which  is  predominant  in  our  set-­‐up  is  not  friendly  to  women  considering  the  risk  aspect.    Most  warehouses  are  not  well  equipped,  and  in  situations  where  there're  forklift  the  manual  handling  of  supplies  still  exist.    One  way  to  resolve  the  situation  is  automation  of  warehouse  and  well  equipped  warehouse  to  make  the  environment  safer  and  friendly  towards  women.      David      

                                 

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Appendix  F:  Participant  Responses  for  Theme  3    Questions  1  and  2  were  posted  at  different  times  in  the  discussion  of  Week  3  and  so  responses  are  divided  based  on  this.    Question  1:      Post  no.  

Response  

1   No  gender  barrier  in  Nigerian  logistics  policies.  It  is  a  mix.    By:  OKPO    

2   Some  of  the  gender  barriers  I  have  noted  depending  on  program  requirements  can  include;  Policy  issues  -­‐  sudden  changes  in  policies  such  as  a  requirement  that  motorcycles  are  used  as  the  preferred  transport  means  for  officers  when  providing  technical  supportive  supervision.    Many  women  do  not  ride  motorcycles.    Workforce  development  -­‐refresher  courses  where  one  has  to  be  away  from    home  for  months    -­‐  do  not  favour  women  with  babies.  Additional  responsibilities  related  to  some  of  the  logistics  work  e.g.  providing  maintenance  services  to  cold  chain  equipment  especially  where  manual  work  is  called  for.    Victoria    

3   The  majority  of  my  professional  experience  comes  from  a  large  INGO  which  had  HR  policies  that  had  been  developed  with  a  great  deal  of  thought.  I  am  glad  to  say  that  they  were  pretty  effective  in  treating  people  equally.    That  said,  I  cannot  stress  enough  the  importance  of  engaging  with  staff  when  it  comes  to  writing/revising  policies.  Staff  must  be  invited,  listened  to  and  their  ideas/concerns  fully  considered.  Then,  when  the  policy  is  rolled-­‐out,  people  need  to  be  briefed  on  the  content  of  the  policy,  its  application  and  the  consequences  of  failing  to  adhere  to  it.    Anna    

4   *From  my  humanitarian  logistics  experience  I  can  share  that  where  &  how  a  job  is  advertised  can  itself  create  limitations.  Clearly  this  depends  upon  the  role,  but  consider  for  a  moment:*    *It  doesn't  make  sense  to  post  an  advert  online  if  few  people  have  internet  access.  Radio  adverts  can  reach  a  wide  audience,  but  is  the  cost  justified?  A  physical  advert  at  the  office  gate  will  have  little  effect  if  the  office  is  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  where  there  is  little  foot-­‐traffic  and  therefore  less  safe.*    *Organisations  need  to  think  more  creatively  when  it  comes  to  reaching  people.  Adverts  need  to  be  placed  where  the  right  people  will  see  them  –  where  people  can  pass  easily,  safely  and  frequently.  A  local  clinic/hospital/market/eatery/internet  cafés/women's  centre  noticeboards/sandwich  boards  can  be  extremely  effective.*    *People  spend  a  lot  of  money  printing  (often  lengthy)  CVs  and  buying  envelopes.  It  would  be  nice  to  provide  them  with  guidelines  for  their  application  to  help  the  applicant  and  the  personnel  reviewing  it  too.  Even  providing  the  means  to  photocopy  their  CVs  or  giving  them  application  form  type  questions  to  help  them  structure  their  application.  The  time  spent  trying  to  create  long  lists  &  short  lists  from  CVs  not  demonstrating  competencies  required  for  positions  could  be  better  spent  in  other  ways.*    

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*You  also  need  to  consider  whether  your  staff  and  working  environment  are  conducive/attractive/encouraging  to  the  types  of  applicants  you're  claiming  you  want.*    *Katie    

5   Dear  All,    I  completely  agree  with  Katie.  It  is  extremely  difficult  to  resource  good  quality  candidates  in  areas  where  internet  access  are  not  possible.  Often  these  potential  consultants  miss  out  on  opportunities  for  career  progression  purely  because  we  are  unsure  as  to  how  to  attract  them.  Most  companies  seem  to  use  Linked  In,  Dev  Ex  and  Dev  Aid  as  we  do.  However  any  local  knowledge  such  as  good  newspapers,  places  to  put  up  posters,  local  clinics  etc.,  are  not  often  passed  on.  To  be  able  to  attract  a  wider  audience  when  advertising  for  urgent  roles  would  truly  be  a  blessing.  My  advice,  ensure  whoever  is  approaching  you  knows  the  local  lay  of  the  land  and  where  to  attract  your  attention!    Best  Sharon  

 Question  2:    Post  No.  

Response  

1   Dear  IAPHLers    What  would  be  done:    I  know  that  many  countries  have  policies  related  to  gender  equality.  The  supply  chain  is  one  of  the  health  systems  which  is  one  of  the  many  other  governmental  sectors.    a).The  countries  who  have  the  acceptable  gender  equality  regulations,    would  implement  the  strategies  for  their  more  applicability.  On  this  matter,  not  only  the  government,  but  the  others  civil  and  professional  organizations  must  be  involved.    b).The  countries  without  the  acceptable  gender  equality  regulations,  must  do  all  to  promote  this  Policy.    Thank  you;  By:  François    

2   Hello  all,    I  have  been  (rather  silently)  following  this  discussion  over  the  past  few  weeks  and  have  very  much  enjoyed  it.  Addis  Demisse  linked  an  post  from  SCM  (Women  in  supply  chain:  a  golden  opportunity  <http://www.scmworld.com/columns/beyond-­‐supply-­‐chain/women-­‐in-­‐supply-­‐chain-­‐-­‐a-­‐golden-­‐opportunity/>)  that  discussed  the  outlook  of  men  and  women  the  field.  I  found  a  very  interesting  takeaway  to  be  that  while  a  man  WILL  apply  to  a  position  in  which  he  only  meets  one  of  the  five  requirements,  a  woman  WILL  NOT  apply  a  position  when  she  meets  only  four  of  the  five  requirements.  I  looked  around  a  bit  more  into  the  literature  on  men  and  women  in  general  in  the  workplace,  leading  me  to  this  article:  Unlocking  the  full  potential  of  women  in  the  US  economy  <http://www.mckinsey.com/client_service/organization/latest_thinking/unlocking_the_full_potential>.  Granted,  this  article  is  focused  on  the  US  economy,  but  I  feel  there  are  

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some  important  points  that  can  be  generalized  across  this  type  of  work.  About  two  thirds  of  the  way  down  the  article,  the  section  of  "What  holds  women  back"  highlights  key  barriers  of  for  women  in  the  workforce,  and  to  some  extent  this  IAPHL  discussion  has  touched  upon  very  similar  points.    It  may  be  that  individual  organizations  need  to  assess  how  to  ease  these  barriers  in  order  to  recruit  and  hire  women  in  the  first  place.  I  am  not  suggesting  "ease  of  work"  or  an  "ease  of  the  role,"  but  simply  noting  that  different  wording  of  a  recruitment  advertisement  might  attract  more  women  to  even  apply.  Perhaps  worded  in  a  way  that  a  woman  with  four  of  the  five  requirements  would  feel  encouraged  to  submit  her  application!    I'd  like  to  make  one  final  note  from  the  McKinsey  link  based  on  this  quote:  "Several  diversity  officers  and  experts  told  us  that  despite  their  best  efforts,  women  are  often  evaluated  for  promotions  primarily  on  performance,  while  men  are  promoted  on  potential."  I  wonder  what  can  be  made  to  balance  this  standard  from  both  the  perspective  of  employers  and  employees.    Although  I  didn't  offer  specific  solutions,  I  hope  this  helps  to  contribute!    Brigid    

3   Hi,    Policies  that  promote  gender  equality  in  workplaces  will  not  equate  immediate  changes  to  the  expectation  of  gender  especially  in  environment  where  culture  and  traditions  are  still  predominant.  It  would  take  time  and  time  will  help  us  to  remove  this  stigma  for  our  sisters.    However  to  fasten  the  rate  of  change,  we  need  to  advocate  about  it.    On  this  note  I  must  also  like  to  promote  that  we  must  also  consider  'social  exclusion'  as  a  barrier  also  rather  than  just  gender.  There  many  issues  that  affects  social  exclusion  such  as  poverty  status,  people  status  in  the  society  and  etc.  which  I  believe  is  another  real  issue  that  we  must  also  be  aware  about  that  adds  value  to  the  challenges  of  gender  equality.  For  example  if  a  potential  woman  who  comes  from  a  lower  cast  system,  then  her  chances  is  much  lower.    Thanks    Apolosi    

4   There's  been  very  interesting  points  raised  by  all  who  have  commented  on  this  particular  question  from  Andrew  Brown:  "What  do  you  think  needs  to  change  in  order  to  create  a  greater  gender  balance  in  health  logistics  and  supply  chain  careers?"    I  think  that  from  a  policy  angle,  it  is  clear  that  women  are  held  back  by  outdated  stereotypes  and  a  failure  to  sell  the  positive  aspects  of  the  profession.  Women  want  their  work  to  be  socially  useful:  to  attract  women,  health  and  humanitarian  organizations  need  to  showcase  how  rewarding  these  jobs  are.  Women  don’t  need  to  position  themselves  as  unfeminine,  setting  aside  their  femininity  by  dressing  in  masculine  clothes  and  being  tough,  aggressive.  Their  ability  as  logisticians  should  not  be  judged  by  their  ability  to  be  ‘one  of  the  boys’.    In  some  organizations  or  field  offices,  the  working  environment  has  practical  barriers  preventing  work-­‐life  integration,  especially  for  those  with  responsibility  for  caring  for  children  or  looking  after  aged  parents.  Barriers  can  be  created  by  long  working  hours  or  working  away  from  home.  Not  many  organizations  offer  part-­‐time  or  flexible  working  hours.  Health  and  humanitarian  organizations  need  to  embrace  progressive  policies  that  

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encourage  women  to  join  and  to  create  an  environment  that  enables  them  to  unleash  their  hidden  potential  to  benefit  fully  from  their  contribution.    Some  contributors  highlighted  where  jobs  are  advertised  considering  that  not  everyone  is  a  member  of  Devex,  or  Relief  Web,  Linkedin  or  other  online  advertising  platform.  Not  many  people  in  developing  countries  have  Internet  access  or  can  afford  it.    And  thank  you  Motomoke  for  sharing  about  AWESOME  (achieving  women’s  excellence  in  supply  chain  operations,  management,  and  education).    There  are  other  practical  actions  that  can  be  taken  in  our  sector.  For  example,  in  2006,  with  a  few  colleagues  I  founded  the  Women’s  Initiative  for  Supply  Chain  Excellence  (WISE)  in  response  to  the  Indian  Ocean  tsunami  out  of  concern  that  many  relief  supplies  lacked  gender  sensitivity  and  that  women's  hygiene  was  poorly  handled  or  over  looked.    We  received  much  support  of  from  the  humanitarian  sector  including  some  senior  male  humanitarian  logisticians.    WISE  concluded  that  humanitarian  programmes  need  a  diverse  workforce,  including  both  men  and  women,  to  fully  appreciate  the  varying  needs  and  aspirations  of  beneficiaries.  We  hoped  that  WISE  would  play  a  valuable  role  in  supporting  female  humanitarian  logisticians  who  felt  isolated  within  the  sector  and  encourage  others  into  the  profession.    WISE  inspired  research  into  gender  and  humanitarian  logistics  and  published  a  booklet  of  inspirational  stories  of  men  and  women  in  the  sector.  Today,  WISE  continues  as  an  informal  professional  networking  group  on  LinkedIn  with  over  500  members  of  both  genders  from  the  humanitarian,  private  and  academic  sectors  Following  IAPHL’s  engaging  discussion  on  gender  it  is  clear  that  similar  practical  approaches  are  needed  to  support  women  in  the  health  supply  chain.    WISE  adopted  a  three-­‐prong  strategy  to  accomplish  its  mission:  (1)  encouraging  equal  opportunity  for  women  in  organisations’  hiring  policy  for  logistics  and  supply  chain  professionals;  (2)  supporting  further  education  and  development  of  both  female  and  male  logisticians  on  gender  issues  and  professional  training  throughout  their  careers;  and  (3)  providing  a  mentorship  program  that  offered  members  access  to  top-­‐level  professionals  for  one-­‐on-­‐one  career  advice  to  newer  members,  encouraging  individuals  to  develop  their  full  potential  and  supporting  women  working  in  the  field.  These  are  some  practical  activities  that  could  inspire  both  female  health  and  humanitarian  logisticians.        Pam  

5   I  have  been  following  this  interesting  discourse  and  it  seem  the  general  consensus  is  that  workplace  policies  are  encumbrances  to  the  progression  of  women  in  logistics  and  other  spheres  of  work.    While  this  may  be  true,  it  is  a  big  contrast  in  the  organization  that  I  work  with  as  it  consciously  drives  for  the  selection,  recruitment  and  retention  of  women.    Beginning  with  recruitment,  every  advert  placed  by  my  organizations  states  that  "  we  are  an  equal  opportunity  organization  and  women  are  encouraged  to  apply"  and  selection  does  not  discriminate.    The  constitution  of  the  interview  panel  always  includes  women  to  ensure  gender  equality  and  equity  and  rights  are  not  trampled  upon  during  the  interviews  noting  that  issues  relating  to  women  can  best  be  protected  by  women  and  men.  Also,  gender  sensitive  and  discriminating  questions  are  seriously  frowned  at  during  interviews    Upon  recruitment,  we  have  policies  that  ensure  the  retention  of  women  such  as  

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-­‐  Women  are  expected  to  observe  the  mandatory  maternity  period  -­‐  Upon  resumption  at  work  with  the  child  under  one  year,  the  organization  pays  the  travel  allowance  of  the  child,  nanny  and  staff  where  a  task  to  be  performed  is  outside  the  base  and  this  include  foreign  assignments.  -­‐  There  is  no  discrimination  in  remuneration  across  sections  in  the  organization.    This  has  resulted  in  more  women  climbing  the  managerial  positions  and  excelling  in  their  duties.  Currently,  the  head  of  logistics  and  regulatory  affairs  and  national  sales  managers  are  women.  Sometimes,  the  males  feel  discriminated  by  these  policies.    Damola    

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Dear  IAPHL  members,    The  involvement  of  women  in  the  recruitment  and  constitution  of  interview  panel  is  laudable.  Moreover,  the  observance  of  maternity  and  provision  of  allowance  for  the  child,  nanny  and  staff  is  highly  commendable.    In  my  organization,  a  woman  is  the  chief  executive  and  women  are  given  priority  attention  in  any  employment  opportunity,  promotion,  sponsorship,  etc.  This  has  resulted  in  many  women  attaining  top  managerial  positions.  I  believe  women  have  a  lot  to  contribute  to  the  society,  hence  they  should  be  encouraged.    -­‐Eshiet,