Leadership dynamics in health: a social network analysis of men and women leaders in RMNCAH-N and immunisation in sub-Saharan Africa

Overview

Social networks are a critical asset for leaders and can help facilitate collaborations, mentorship, and enhance visibility. However, women face unique challenges accessing and leveraging networks for change. As part of a larger mixed-methods study, we conducted a social network analysis (SNA) among leaders in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH-N) and immunisation to document the extent and value of women and men's networks in sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted an online survey among 741 leaders, 163 of whom contributed to the SNA. We asked leaders to identify up to ten members of their network and indicate the extent to which they communicate, share resources, and value the relationship. Network visualisations and metrics were generated to analyse the peer leadership network and identify the most influential leaders. Leaders from NGOs and national-level organisations have the most influence within the network. Women have slightly broader networks with overlapping ties while men have more diverse networks, and more efficient access to those networks. Women are slightly better connected to the most influential elements within the network including women at national-level government organisations, women at national-level NGOs, and men at national-level NGOs. Most connections were between elements of the same gender; while respondents connected with more members of their own gender, they did not necessarily value those members highly. Gender diversity appears to enhance collaboration, resource-sharing, and value creation. These results highlight the importance of fostering collaboration and connectivity across diverse organisational types and addressing systemic inequities to create more inclusive and balanced networks.