Health Is Not a Zero-Sum Game: Bringing Gender in Boys' Health Research and Practice

Global health research and programming have historically treated gender as synonymous with women and girls, overlooking how gender norms also shape boys' health. This commentary argues that boys' health disparities (such as higher rates of premature mortality from violence, injury, and substance use) are deeply gendered outcomes, rooted in social expectations of risk-taking, stoicism, and dominance. Using evidence from the Global Burden of Disease Study and contemporary gender theory, we argue that gender affects girls' as much as boys' health. We further contend that the gender approaches have been underutilized for understanding and addressing boys' vulnerabilities. Reframing gender-transformative practice to include boys as subjects of care, not only as allies, expands the scope of gender justice. Rather than pitting genders against one another, an inclusive approach to gender and health recognizes that transforming harmful norms benefits all adolescents. Cultivating empathy, care, and emotional literacy among boys is not an act of diversion but one of solidarity, reinforcing collective well-being. Integrating a gender lens across all adolescent health programming is essential to move from competition toward collaboration in the pursuit of equity and human flourishing.