Task Forces Gender, Access, and Quality of Care Task Force Gender and HIV/AIDS Task Force Men and Reproductive Health Task Force Research/Evidence- Based Task Force				Home > About > Task Forces > Research/Evidence-Based Task Force Research/Evidence-Based Task Force The purpose of the Research/Evidence-Based Task Force is to assess how gender-sensitive programming contributes to achieving reproductive health outcomes and population, health, and nutrition (PHN) results. The task force is concerned with addressing the question, "What do we know, to date, about the relationship between gender-sensitive programming and reproductive health and demographic outcomes?" The task force is reviewing interventions in four reproductive health issues: maternal morbidity and mortality, unintended pregnancy, STDs/HIV, and violence against women. Task Force members have collected published and gray literature, searched databases, and contacted over 150 organizations for systematic evaluations of gender-sensitive interventions in reproductive health. They started their work by defining "gender-sensitive," which they broke down into two categories: gender-accommodating and gender-equitable. Gender-accommodating interventions acknowledge gender norms and address them in programming by working around gender-related barriers to reproductive health. In contrast, gender-equitable programs try to change unequal gender relations and norms. The task force is developing two products: a paper that compiles the evidence that gender-sensitive programming does or does not have a positive effect on reproductive health outcomes, and a presentation of the findings to USAID. They expect to complete these products in early 2004. For more information, contact either task force co-chair: Sid Schuler sid_schuler@jsi.com or Karen Hardee at k.hardee@tfgi.com.