Brief Summary
This consultation assessed the gender responsiveness of the SMILE (Sistem Monitoring Imunisasi Logistik secara Elektronik) application in Indonesia, focusing on how digital health innovations can promote equitable access, participation, and decision-making in the health system. Conducted through a qualitative study across four provinces and the Ministry of Health, the assessment provides key insights into the intersection of gender and digital transformation in public health logistics.
Developed by Indonesia’s Ministry of Health in collaboration with UNDP, SMILE was initially designed to streamline vaccine distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic and later expanded to include logistics for other infectious diseases (TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria, rabies) and medical waste management. As of late 2024, SMILE had reached over 15,300 health workers, 88% of whom are women, across puskesmas, district, provincial, and national health offices.
This gender assessment aimed to evaluate:
- satisfaction with SMILE training;
- experiences in using the SMILE application; and
- perceived benefits in health-related decision-making, disaggregated by gender and geographical location. The study applied a gender mainstreaming framework across six domains—access, practice and participation, knowledge, beliefs, and power in decision-making—and involved 80 respondents (46 women, 34 men) through FGDs and interviews.
Key findings revealed both shared and distinct gendered experiences. While both men and women found SMILE effective in improving vaccine logistics, women often faced compounded barriers due to dual roles at home and work. For instance, women reported more challenges attending online training due to time conflicts, while men expressed a preference for technical aspects of in-person sessions. Women leaned on peer support for post-training learning, whereas men tended to self-study.
This consultation ultimately calls for gender-transformative policies in digital health, such as inclusive training models, equitable task allocation, and recognition of women's contributions to strategic health planning. It provides timely evidence to guide SMILE’s evolution as a people-centered, gender-equitable digital health innovation.