Community Health Workers: Gender, Work and Remuneration: A Study of South Asia

Abstract

This study explores how women are engaged as CHWs for health related work at the community level in the five South Asian countries (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). It is through the mapping of the different CHW models existing in South Asia their nature of work and terms and condition is explored in each of the settings. The paper explicates these specificities and commonalities of these CHW models through the three central themes i.e. gender and community health workforce; voluntarism and payment mechanism, and task shifting within CHWs programmes in South Asia. It aims to contribute to the debates on ways to optimize CHW programmes with an aim of quality healthcare for all with decent work  for CHWs.