Communicating with a Focus on Equity, Gender, and Cultural Diversity in the Context of COVID-19 Vaccination: Practical Guide

"It should be kept in mind that the pandemic has unevenly affected each population and that messages will therefore be understood and processed from the perspective of different collective experiences and widely disparate personal life stories."

Many barriers continue to hinder uptake of COVID-19 vaccination, especially in vulnerable populations. Disinformation at different levels is one of the biggest obstacles, and this is why strategic communication is essential. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) contends that incorporating a perspective that takes into account considerations of equity, gender and cultural diversity is the first step towards a form of communication that responds to the multiple and complex realities of the different countries in the Region of the Americas. This practical guide aims to help communication teams integrate this approach into their daily work and develop materials that adapt to the particularities of each type of audience.

In order to fully understand local contexts and situations, PAHO suggests making use of existing demographic and anthropological studies, as well as dialogues with local authorities and beneficiary communities, and validating materials with the populations involved in order to ensure that these materials are adapted to their needs.

To facilitate the streamlined production of communication materials that include a gender and cultural diversity approach, this guide has four sections. The first contains a number of ideas on the inclusive use of language, and the second offers guidance on expressing sociocultural diversity in the production of audiovisual materials. These two sections include examples of words, phrases, and ideas that should be avoided and others that would be preferable in each case. The third section consists of a checklist that will allow evaluation of the relevance of the materials from a gender and cultural diversity perspective, while the fourth and final section offers specific recommendations in the context of COVID-19 vaccination. Example: "When portraying healthcare settings, do justice to the reality that 70% of people working in the health and social sector worldwide are women. Show women as doctors and decision-makers, not just in support roles or as assistants in vaccination procedures, and reflect the ethnic diversity of health professionals."