About IGH

Welcome to the Institute of Gender and Health (IGH). IGH supports research that addresses how sex and gender influence health. There remain significant disparities in healthcare access and health outcomes for men and women. Every cell in our bodies is "sexed" and we must improve our understanding of how sex-based biological factors influence the way we respond to medications and other treatments. Every health interaction and behaviour is influenced by gender, and we need to understand the unique healthcare needs of men and women, girls and boys. The gender gap is an important research issue. Men continue to die at a younger age, compared with women, while women experience a heavier burden of chronic illness. Why this occurs is not fully understood. There is emerging evidence that there may be many important ways in which sex and gender influence health that, if better understood, could inform interventions and programs designed to improve the health and well being of all people. IGH is dedicated to generating evidence that will help to close the apparent gaps by ensuring that research is conducted that examines the biological, clinical, health service, psychological and social factors that influence the health of men, women, girls, and boys. IGH is committed to fostering collaboration across disciplines and pillars developing new researchers, fostering knowledge exchange, and ensuring that research evidence is used to improve the health of Canadians.

Who We Are

IGH is one of the thirteen virtual institutes that make up the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

The IGH community is made up of researchers, scientists, community groups, and individuals from around the world who share an interest in Gender and Health issues. A highly respected Scientific Director and a small, professional staff manage IGH day-to-day activities. A dedicated Institute Advisory Board (IAB) provides essential input and guidance into everything we do.

What We Do

As one of the thirteen Institutes of CIHR, IGH shares responsibility for achieving the principal objectives of CIHR.

Our Mission

The mission of the Institute of Gender and Health is to foster research excellence regarding the influence of gender and sex on the health of women and men throughout life and to apply these research findings to identify and address pressing health challenges.

Our Vision

Gender matters. Sex and gender are integrated as key considerations in health research and its application in Canada and internationally.

Our Strategic Directions

IGH has six strategic research directions, each of which describes a major focus of responsibility and commitment for the Institute.

Please see our 2009-2012 Strategic Plan, or our other publications, for more details.

Our Activities

IGH provides research support through a growing number of strategic research grants, and capacity building programs. More details on IGH funding activities, including current opportunities and application guidelines, can be found under IGH Funding.

Questions of gender and sex transcend all borders. This is reflected in the broad variety of activities hosted by IGH and other activities that are funded by IGH that bring together the wide variety of partners, stakeholders and organizations that make up the IGH community. Our IAB also provides essential community input and guidance into everything we do.

In our short history, IGH support has contributed to an impressive number of research achievements in diverse areas including violence, care giving, immigrants and refugees, breast cancer, food security, homelessness and housing, HIV/AIDS, occupational health, tobacco use, and reproductive health, among others.

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