Senior Fellow

Myra Betron is a leader in integrating practical, evidenced-based approaches to addressing gender inequalities as a determinant of health. She has a 20+ year track-record of designing, managing, implementing and evaluating programs on gender and gender-based violence in the context of sexual and reproductive health in over 20 countries. This experience has given her range and depth in strategic planning, research, knowledge management, strategic communications for advocacy and social change, and capacity-building. As Jhpiego’s first Gender Technical Director, she built a portfolio of 20 projects with 22 gender advisors and over 30 gender focal points across the globe. In this role, Myra led the design and on-going implementation of minimum standards to ensure quality integration of gender into Jhpiego programs and Jhpiego-supported health services worldwide, including USAID’s flagship $500 million global program for ending preventable maternal, newborn, and child death.

 

Myra previously held gender advisor roles for the World Bank, EngenderHealth’s CHAMPION project in Tanzania, the International Center for Research on Women, and Futures Group International. She has also lead seminal primary and secondary research for addressing gender and gender-based violence through the health sector, using a range quantitative and qualitative methods, including participatory learning and action. She was the principal investigator on the first-ever clinical trial to demonstrate effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of a brief clinic-based intervention on the reduction of risk of experiencing GBV in low-resource public health facilities. As co-chair of the Interagency Gender Working Group’s Male Engagement Taskforce from 2016-2024, she has also been a thought leader on engaging men in sexual and reproductive health, co-authoring various knowledge products, such as the Do’s and Don’ts for Engaging Men. She has designed and contributed to gender and GBV training curricula for health providers as well as Jhpiego staff and over the course of her career, has designed and led dozens of gender training workshops for national governments across the globe, World Bank and USAID staff, as well as global health practitioners and students. Ms. Betron has an Associate Faculty appointment at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she lectures on gender and health systems.