In terms of the health care sector, there's a lot of financial information and resources that are provided to the health sector in particular areas—and they reflect the millennium development goals—maternal health, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, etc.
What tends to happen is that donor engagement focusing on those particular areas results in fragmented health care delivery. You have NGOs coming in and providing some services, and you have the government providing other services. It's not a comprehensive integrated health care system.
That's why continuing to support the government through sector budget support, such as with Mozambique, is important. You need to build the capacity of the health system in order to provide those services, and the provision of health services is an important component of the social contract between the government and its citizens.
That's a reflection on how important the health system is in post-conflict settings. If the government can show it can provide good-quality health care services free for the most essential needs, and at low cost for other needs, that can increase the population's confidence in the government and engagement in society.
In terms of gender, the health sector has been underutilized and under-examined in the effort to promote gender equality in post-conflict settings. It's ironic that the institution individuals interface with most throughout their lifespan, which is the health sector, was completely ignored in the women, peace, and security agenda.
The women, peace, and security agenda said we need to encourage women to be integrated into the armed forces and into the police. We need to encourage participation of women in peace processes, and also encourage in places like Iraq, using a quota system, 30% women parliamentarians. The organization individuals have the most contact with was left out of this effort to promote gender equality.
One of the things the research I'm doing with the University of Liverpool recommends is to look at human resource strategies in the health system. You think about how to promote women as leaders within health institutions, and also to use the health system as a way to promote changing gender norms and social norms in society so that women and girls are better valued.
It's an interesting question. It's a very underutilized institution in post-conflict settings as a way to build the capacity of the state, to build the public's confidence in the state and their participation in civic life, and also to promote gender equality.