Graduate Prerequisites: SPH PH720 or instructor permission. The course critically examines health policy through a gender-expansive and intersectional lens, centering the experiences of cis and trans women, people assigned female at birth (AFAB), and gender nonbinary persons. The semester begins with an exploration of policy mechanisms while applying feminist strategies to assess health inequities. Students will learn to analyze and advocate for policy change by integrating evidence, political strategy, and stakeholder engagement into their work. Using an intersectionality-based policy analysis framework, the course investigates how health policies are shaped by gender, race, socio-economic status, geography, and sexual orientation, and how these factors interact to create disparities. Students will apply these concepts to a variety of case studies on gendered health policies, including mammography guidelines, trans-affirming healthcare access, BMI as a public health measure, social security policies, and protections for domestic workers. Each case study will encourage students to assess the structural, social, and economic forces influencing policy decisions and identify levers for change. By the end of the course, students will have developed practical skills in policy analysis, stakeholder mapping, and effective advocacy. They will be prepared to craft compelling arguments for diverse audiences, including legislators, media outlets, private foundations, and public health policymakers, equipping them with the tools to advance gender-equitable health policies.

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